Free Theatre Christchurch was established in 1982 as an incorporated society with its own theatre in the Christchurch Arts Centre (New Zealand). Its
original mission statement included the following objectives: to stage old and new rarely staged European plays in original translations, new New Zealand plays, and
classical English texts in an unusual and experimental style. From the start the emphasis has been on non-verbal action and high production standards, discouraging the
star system and encouraging long rehearsal and training periods in a company context.
Over a series of projects that include Last Days of Mankind, Footprints/Tapuwae,
Samson Airline, Fantasia, Philoctetes,
Diana Down Under, Ella and Susn, Faust Chroma,
Distraction Camp and Doctor Faustus, a committed ensemble has developed under the leadership of Artistic Director Peter
Falkenberg. Recently, the ensemble has ventured outside of
Christchurch and received a number of awards and nominations:
2009 Nominee for The Montana Award, Most Original Production (Faust Chroma), Chapman Tripp NZ Theatre Awards
2009 Award for Best Theatre (Ella and Susn), Dunedin Fringe Festival
2009 Nominee for Best Production Design (Ella and Susn), Dunedin Fringe Festival
2009 Award for Best Production Design (Faust Chroma), Wellington Fringe Festival
2008 Award for Best Theatre (Faust Chroma), Dunedin Fringe Festival
2008 Nominee for Best Production Design (Faust Chroma), Dunedin Fringe Festival
Free Theatre Christchurch is assembling a repertoire of old and new works to tour nationally and internationally, and developing an archive of its remarkable 30-year history.
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Selected Praise for Free Theatre Christchurch:
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"To achieve such a high standard of production working with new and complex
material, the Free Theatre workshops new scripts with an intensity that is
unusual in New Zealand. The results are exciting and unique."
- Christoph Muecher, Director, Goethe-Institut New Zealand
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"For over quarter of a century Free Theatre has refined cultural horizons
and shaped Christchurch's perceptions of contemporary theatre."
- Chris Moore, Arts Editor, The Press
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"Free Theatre holds a unique place in the arts culture that is an integral
part of the best that Christchurch and New Zealand has to offer in terms of
theatre experiences. They create annual workshops and performances that are
also used to inform the study of many theatre and film students based in the
South Island. They have international connections with the performance world
and use this to their advantage."
- Te Rita Papesch, Chair, Kanohi Kitea Trust
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"Christchurch is well served by this young and innovative theatre company
which presents challenges to its audiences through the material and manner
in which it is presented. We need these kinds of boundary-breaking groups to
keep the local arts culture stimulated and forward-thinking. There is no
doubt that the works Free Theatre undertake are always done with great
deliberation and from a rigorous intellectual base. The cast's professional
approach sees them achieving laudable standards."
- Brendon Burns, Member of Parliament, Christchurch Central Electorate
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"I'm writing in support of the theatre troupe, Free Theatre Christchurch. I
became familiar with their exquisite work during my fellowship stay at the
Canterbury University in New Zealand. In particular their FAUST CHROMA made
a lasting impact on me since the entire team has achieved in this production
a rare level of expressive poetry on stage. In my opinion their magnificent
work should be seen worldwide - such an innovative and, at the same time,
professional theatrical work is a rare and remarkable feat."
- Lech Majewski, Director/Producer. www.lechmajewski.com
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"No other theatre company in Christchurch, and quite possibly New Zealand,
has so consistently shown the intellectual vigour and creative daring of
this group. Productions are always topical, original and ingenious,
provocative and daringly different from those delivered by the mainstream
companies and groups in Christchurch and in the wider New Zealand theatre
context. This originality and creativity applies alike to stage design and
construction, direction, scripting, and acting, which itself is invariably
very much about interacting with the audience, whether in the theatre or the
street or the shopping mall."
- Ross and Lorraine Gray, long-time patrons of Free Theatre Christchurch.
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29 June 2010
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