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. Actors and other artists are paid most often directly from box office receipts. Past productions include: Woyzeck, King Ubu, Round Dance, King Lear, 1984, Cowboy Mouth, Mahagonny, Lulu, Elektra, Hamletmachine, Salome, MedeaMaterial, Power, Crusoe, Krapps Last Tape, Last Days of Mankind, Samson Airline, Footprints/Tapuwae... Return of the Native, Fantasia, Philoctetes, Diana Down Under, and Faust Feast.
Taking its inspiration from European predecessors (Freie Bühne in Germany, Théâtre Libre in France), Free Theatre Christchurch consistently strives for its productions to be "free": free from social conventions, free from political limitations, free from audience expectations and, as much as possible in contemporary society, free from bottom-line financial considerations.
In a society in which artistic success is increasingly inseparable from commercial success, Free Theatre Christchurch tries to preserve or rediscover what might be an antiquated notion of autonomous art.
We are assembling this site from scratch to explain and archive an organisation that has been active for 25 years. It's quite an undertaking. Everything is only partially complete, and we'll continue adding more new and archival material as we can. If you have anything to contribute, by all means get in touch. Email admin @ freetheatre.org.nz
Video Excerpt: Faust Chroma (.MOV, 11.3MB)Nov 2007