Q Theatre, Auckland

Q Theatre is theatre facility on Queen St in central Auckland, New Zealand.

Queen street entrance

History

The background to the theatre comes from a group who formed an initiative in 2000 called New Theatre. This was after the closure of the Watershed Theatre in 1996. The Q Theatre brand was launched in 2006.[1]

Construction started in 2009 after fundraising for the NZ$21 million budget.[1] Founding partners and funders include the Auckland Council, Foundation North, New Zealand Lottery Grants Board and private donors.[2]

Q Theatre was designed by Cheshire Architects Limited who is 2012 won an award for the building.[3] The design work was undertaken by Pip Cheshire and Melbourne based architectural theatre specialist Virginia Ross.[1] It is a mixture of a purpose built building and a 'strengthened and reworked' 1920's building (the ‘No Deposit Piano Building').[4]

The project required the demolition and replacement of the existing Town Hall green room and the maintenance of storage and access to the Town Hall’s basement kitchens. Cheshire Architects[4]

Facilities

There are two auditoriums, Rangitira which is a 450-seat flexible format space and the Loft, which seats 120 seats. It also includes rehearsal space and an entrance lobby, bar and cafe.[4]

Programmes

Matchbox is one of Q Theatre's regular programmes running since 2011.[5] It is a development scheme to help artists in a professional arena and to develop new audiences. Performances in this programmes have included Burn Her and the musical Daffodils, which was later adapted into a feature film.[6]

NZ International Comedy Festival is regularly programmed at Q Theatre.[7]

References
  1. "Q Theatre bags $21m, so work can start". NZ Herald. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  2. "Pioneers & Founding Partners | Q Theatre". www.qtheatre.co.nz. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  3. Architects (www.nzia.co.nz), NZ Institute of. "Q Theatre". NZ Institute of Architects (www.nzia.co.nz). Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  4. "Q Theatre | Culture | Cheshire". www.cheshirearchitects.com. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  5. "Q Theatre Presents Matchbox 2017 Season | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  6. "Q Theatre's Matchbox season returns". NZ Herald. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  7. "NZ International Comedy Festival". NZ International Comedy Festival. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
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