"The stakes are high for all of us involved in presenting new New Zealand plays to audiences," says ATC Literary Manager Philippa Campbell.

"For writers, actors, directors and producers, the scrutiny of the home town crowd is the keenest and potentially too, the most thrilling and rewarding."

Writing and developing plays within a rigorous theatre-making environment is the name of the game for The Next Stage, Auckland Theatre Company’s annual festival of new work.

Three plays are selected for a 10 day workshop process which climaxes in 2 work-in progress semi-staged presentations of each script.  It’s an act of faith for all concerned.

The workshop process has produced some of the most exciting theatre premieres Auckland audiences have enjoyed over the last few years.  Arthur Meek’s ON THE UPSIDE DOWN OF THE WORLD, currently on a national tour, Dave Armstrong’s hit LE SUD, Dave’s adaptation of Sia Figiel’s novel WHERE WE ONCE BELONGED and Geoff Chapple’s HATCH have all been developed through TNS with Auckland premiere productions presented by ATC.

PLAY 1

PLAY 2
AT THE WAKE by Victor Rodger Directed by Roy Ward
Old wounds are opened when afakasi Robert, his palagi grandmother and his estranged Samoan father meet for the first time over a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue at the wake of Robert’s mum.
75 MINUTES no interval
Dates:
Saturday 8 October, 2pm
Sunday 9 October, 3.30pm

PLAY 3
PITCAIRN by Christina Stachurski directed by Sara Brodie 
South Seas paradise or hell on earth?
80 MINUTES no interval
Dates: 
Saturday 8 October, 8pm 
Sunday 9 October, 1pm

Venue
ATC Studios