May 24, 2019

MORE NZ WORK FROM OUR PROFESSIONAL COMPANIES   

PLAYMARKET has again carried out research into works being staged by professional theatres in 2018. The results paint a healthy picture of New Zealand productions on our stages with increases in NZ work, work by Māori practitioners and works by NZ women writers and theatremakers.

Of the 241 works produced professionally in our theatres 84% of them were New Zealand works, up from 79% in 2017. Seven companies created seasons of 100% NZ work. Works by women accounted for 58% of the nationwide total, up from 52% in 2017 while works by NZ women totalled 51%.

The survey covers the seasons of all theatre companies funded by Creative NZ under the Tōtara and Kahikatea models. These are the four main producing houses (Auckland Theatre Company, Centrepoint Theatre, Circa Theatre and The Court Theatre), the receiving houses (BATS, Basement Theatre and Te Pou) and the producing companies (Capital E National Theatre for Children, Massive Company, Taki Rua Productions, Tawata Productions, Barbarian Productions, Indian Ink, Silo Theatre, Red Leap Theatre, The Conch and Young and Hungry).

Of the producing houses:

• Auckland Theatre Company staged the highest percentage of NZ work (83%) followed by Centrepoint (81%), and Circa (74%).
• Centrepoint Theatre produced the most work by NZ women (50%), while Circa produced the most work by women of any nationality (59%).
• Of the receiving houses
• Te Pou and the Basement both staged seasons of 94% NZ works.
• BATS and the Basement Theatre staged the most work by women (54% and 56% respectively). The Basement staged the most work by Asian practitioners which accounted for 8% of their programme while both the Basement’s and BATS’ Pasifika work accounted for 9% of their programme.

Of the producing companies

• Taki Rua, Massive, Tawata, Barbarian, Indian Ink, The Conch, Red Leap and Young & Hungry each produced 100% NZ works.
• Taki Rua, Tawata and Massive also produced the highest percentage of works by Māori practitioners (100%).

By the numbers

241 Works

202 New Zealand Works – 84%

40 Māori Works – 17%

26 Pasifika Works – 11%

14 Asian Works – 6%

139 Works by Women – 58%

123 Works by NZ Women – 51%

81 Co-written Works – 34%

RESEARCH PARAMETERS

• The data applies to works performed between 01 January and 31 December 2018
• Data is collected about scripted and devised works only. It does not include improvised works, burlesque, installations, performance art, pure dance or stand-up comedy (unless the artist has specifically publicised the work as a theatrical solo).
• Data is collected about works produced by theatres, works bought-in by theatres and tours undertaken by the theatres
• Data is collected about fully staged productions only
• The data is collected from
  1. Season Brochures
  2. Websites
  3. Theatres
  4. Playmarket staff knowledge or licence
• Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number

DEFINITIONS

• NZ works by women are defined as works with a minimum of one New Zealand woman citizen or resident involved in the writing or devising of the work.
• Māori, Pasifika and Asian works are defined as works created with a minimum of one New Zealand citizen or resident of Māori, Pasifika or Asian descent involved in the writing or devising of the work.

Full research details below.

2018

NATIONAL OVERVIEW

241   Works

202   New Zealand works – 84%

  40   Māori works – 17%

  26   Pasifika works – 11%

  14   Asian works – 6%

139   Works by Women – 58%

123   Works by NZ Women – 51%

  81   Co-written works – 34%

TŌTARA ORGANISATIONS

 

AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY

12   works

10   New Zealand works (83%)

  3   Māori works (25%)

  4   Pasifika works (33%)

  1   Asian work (8%)

  5   works by women (42%)

  5   works by NZ women (42%)

  4   co-written works (33%)

Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee, adapted by Pip Hall

Still Life with Chickens by D.F Mamea

Tender by Benjamin Henson and the cast

You First by Billie Staples

Alice devised by the cast

Mrs Warren’s Profession

by George Bernard Shaw

The Eel and Sina by Jono Soo Choon

The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Albert Belz, Tainui Tukiwaho, Philippa Campbell and Colin McColl

Filthy Business by Ryan Craig

Rendered by Stuart Hoar

Icarus: The Boy Who Flew too Close to the Sun by Ben Henson

CIRCA THEATRE

27   works

20   New Zealand works (74%)

  3   Māori works (11%)

  2   Pasifika works (7%)

  1   Asian Work (4%)

16   works by women (59%)

11   works by NZ women (41%)

  9   co-written works (33%)

Peter Pan: The Pantomime by Pinky Agnew and Lorae Parry

Joan by Tom Scott

Rushes by Malia Johnston, Rowan Pierce and Eden Mulholland

Salonica by Equal Voices Arts

Us/Them by Carly Wijs

At the Wake by Victor Rodger

Switzerland by Joanna Murray-Smith

The Lie by Florian Zeller

The Messy Magic Adventure: Kitchen Chaos by Lizzie Tollemache and David Ladderman

Seven Deadly Stunts by Lizzie Tollemache and David Ladderman

Still Life with Chickens by D.F. Mamea

Problems by Joe Musaphia

The Atom Room by Philip Braithwaite

Meremere by Rodney Bell

Songs for Nobodies by Joanna Murray-Smith

Black Dog by Pamela Allen, adapted by Peter Wilson

Duck, Death and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch, adapted by Peter Wilson

The Dinner devised by Joan Bellviure

Bloomsbury Women and the Wild Colonial Girl by Lorae Parry

Modern Girls in Bed by Cherie Jacobson and Alex Lodge

Medusa by Nisha Madhan, Julia Croft and Virginia Frankovich

Blond Poison by Gail Louw

Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas

Uneasy Dreams and Other Things by Lori Leigh

Friday’s Flock by Reihana Haronga and Karla Haronga

Puss in Boots the Pantomime by Paul Jenden

PSA: The Ghosts of Christmas Parties by Thom Adams and Carrie Green

THE COURT THEATRE

17   works

  9   New Zealand works (53%)

  2   Māori works (12%)

  0   Pasifika work

  0   Asian Work

  3   works by women (18%)

  1   works by NZ women (6%)

  2   co-written works (12%)

Chicago by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse

Puff the Magic Dragon by Carl Nixon

Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare

Easy Money by Roger Hall

A Paintbox of Clowns by Dan Bain

In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play by Sarah Ruhl

Ideation by Aaron Loeb

The Biggest by Jamie McCaskill

Vernon God Little by Tanya Rodner

The Littlest Ninja by Javier Jarquin

Stephen King’s Misery by William Goldman

Mum’s Choir by Alison Quigan

Hansel and Gretel by Dan Bain

Astroman by Albert Belz

Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

A Christmas Carol by Dan Bain

BASEMENT THEATRE

66  works

62   New Zealand works (94%)

  9   Māori works (14%)

  6   Pasifika works (9%)

  5   Asian work (8%)

37   works by women (56%)

36   works by NZ women (55%)

21   co-written works (32%)

Twenty Eight Millimeters by Sam Brooks

Fala Muncher by the Company

Force Field by Duncan Armstrong and Isobel Mackinnon

Fuck Rant by Nisha Madhan

Wigging Out by Tom Sainsbury and Hamish Russell

Women and Water by Vida Gibson

For Your Eyes Only by Nathan Joe

Happy Hour by Binge Culture

This is What you Signed Up For! by Amy Mansfield

It’s a Trial! by Binge Culture Collective and Barbarian Productions

Dead Writers Retreat by Claire O’Loughlin and Marcus McShane

Running by Sam Snedden

Chef Masters by Johanna Cosgrove

Lost Girls Club: The Do You Like Me Tour by Irasa Siave, Grace Augustine and Loren Black

A Brisk Wind Whistling Down Twin Oak Drive by Phoebe Mason

The Basement Tapes by Stella Reid

Tender is the Night by Talullah Holly Massey

The First Time by Courtney Rose Brown

Conversations with Dead Relatives by Phil Ormsby

Your Heart Looks Like a Vagina by Dominic Hoey

Weirdo by Waylon Edwards, William Duignan and Jane Yonge

Self Helped by Tom Sainsbury

Dignity by Eamonn Marra

My Fat/Sad by Uther Dean

PUSS by Nomi Cohen and Andy Manning

Giggly Gerties by Chris Parker and Tom Sainsbury

Fully Sik by Tessa Waters

Fuq Boiz – Resurrection by Hamish Parkinson and Ryan Richards

Unfinished Business by Nic Sampson

Giddy by Leon Wadham

Just a Phase by Hayley Sproull

Camp Binch by Chris Parker

You Do You Babes by Donna Brookbanks

Why does This Feel So Good? byBrynley Stent and Rhiannon McCall

Pool (No Water) by Mark Ravenhill

Precious Little by Madeleine George

Cult Show: And the Revitalisation of the Women’s Archives by Saraid Cameron and Amelia Reynolds

A Gamblers Guide to Dying by Gary McNair

Contours of Heaven by Ana Scotney, Puti Lancaster, Marama Beamish and Owen McCarthy

Living Large with Marge by Hamish McGregor

Maumahara Girlie by Mya Morrison-Middleton

Te Waka Huia by Naomi Bartley

Upu mai Whetu curated by Grace Taylor

First World Problems by Agaram and Prayas

Near Death Experience by Natalie Medlock

Run Rabbit Run by Victoria Abbott

I, Will Jones by Eamonn Mara

SIBS by Chris Parker and Olivia Parker

I Ain’t Mad at Cha by Turene Jones

Breathe by Daniel Goodwin

Humble by Jamaine Ross, James Roque and Pax Assadi

Me and My Sister Tell Each Other Everything by Uther Dean

Unsupervised by Rebekah Head and Jess Brian

Retail Therapy by Grace Amelia Vernal

A Few Things I Have Learnt About Death and Dating by Acacia O’Connor

Watching Paint Dry by Anders Falstie-Jensen

All Good by Isaac Te Reina

Paper Planes by Aaron Richardson

WMBADx by Robbie Nicol and Finnius Teppet with Stella Reid

Hearts of Men by Albert Mateni

A Lost Cause by Loren Black

Violent Bloom by Andrew Gunn

The Exorshit by Tom Sainsbury and Lee Smith-Gibbons

Such Stuff as Dreams by Camilla Walker

Jacinda by Sam Brooks

Movers by James Cain

Work Do by Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden

BATS

89   works

78   New Zealand works (88%)

13   Māori works (15%)

  8   Pasifika works (9%)

  4   Asian work (4%)

55   works by women (62%)

48   works by NZ women (54%)

27   co-written works (30%)

Question Time Blues by Catherine Delahunty

Lola’s Grave Mistake by Ian Harman

Soft ’n’ Hard by Jo Randerson and Thomas LaHood

Aunty by Johanna Cosgrove

Pardon Me Alan Turing by Stephen Lunt

Fa’aafa by Fafswag

The Border by Manuel Saez

My Best Dead Friend by Anya Tate-Manning

Camembert by Random Acts of Kindness

Poet vs Pageant by Telia Nevile

Girl You Want by Tessa Mitchell

Three Dead Dogs by Cat Tipene and Ryan Cundy

2am Phone Call by Georgie Silk and Natalie Clark

All Shapes and Sirens by Fondle the Orange

2,000ft Above Worry Level by Eamonn Mara

Phone Whore by Cameryn Moore

Wellingtonians by Ethan Morse Theatre

The Nose by Jonny Potts and Michael Trigg

Flippin’ Norah! by Scene It

Talofa Papa by Kasiano Mita

Apocalyptic Us by Audrey Porne and Reuben Todd

Blood Relative by Ren Lunicke

The Race by Hobson Street Theatre Company

The Travelling Sisters by The Travelling Sisters

Charmian Hughes – Bra Trek by Charmian Hughes

She Wolf by Gillian English

The World We Live In by Grahame Woods

Maggot by Angela Fouhy, Freya Boyle, Elle Wootton

The Ballad of Frank Allen by Shane Adamczak

Movers by James Cain

Your Heart Looks Like a Vagina by Dominic Hoey

Spring Awakening adapted from the play by Frank Wedekind, music by Duncan Sheik and a book and lyrics by Steven Sater

Twinkle by Peter Wilson

Colour Me Cecily by Bea Lee-Smith

A Time Like This by Jackie Davis

Just a Phase by Hayley Sproull

Humble by Jamaine Ross, James Roque and Pax Assadi

We Still Live With our Parents by Roman Ratcliff, Lucy Forrestal and Tui Christie

Why does this feel so good? by Brynley Stent and Rhiannon McCall

PSA: A New Dawn by Thom Adams and Carrie Green

You do you babes by Donna Brookbanks

Tessa Waters: Fully Sik by Tessa Waters

Self-Helped by Tom Sainsbury

WMBADx by Robbie Nicol and Finnius Teppet with Stella Reid

My Fat/Sad by Uther Dean

Giggly Gerties by Tom Sainsbury and Chris Parker

Femme Natale by various

I Am Not Margaret Mahy by Jane Waddell

Barrier Ninja by Fran Kewene

La’u Gagana by Jake Arona, Maxwell Siulangapo, Talia-Rae Mavaega, Tavita Nielsen-Mamea, Mana Tatafu

He Kura e Huna Ana by Hōhepa Waitoa

Beneath Skin and Bone by Trae Te Wiki

Deer Woman by Article 11

Camp Binch by Chris Parker

Don’t Date Androids by Stefan Alderson

G+ Force by George Fenn

Giddy by Leon Wadham

A Country of Two Halves by various

The Loneliest Whale in the World by Hilary Penwarden

Seed by Elisabeth Esther

Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare

Mating in Captivity by Oliver Page

Sons by Victor Rodger

My Name is Gary Cooper by Victor Rodger

The Lazarus Lottery by James van Dyk

(A Smidge of) Pidge by Sherilee Kahui and Jimmy Sutcliffe

Soft Tissue by Ella Gilbert

Wonderful by Dean Parker

She Danced on a Friday by Nicola Pauling

I’ll Tell You This for Nothing by Kate JasonSmith

Breathe by Daniel Goodwin

Fuq Boiz: Resurrection by Hamish Parkinson and Ryan Richards

Drowning in Milk by Saraid Cameron

Discharge is Rotten to the Core by Discharge

Aladdin by Amanda Sone

All Good by Isaac Te Reina

Spot the Difference by Antony-Paul Aiono and Benny Marama

In it Together by Catherine Zulver

Womanz by Tessa Waters

Tessa Waters Over Promises by Tessa Waters

Jane Doe by Eleanor Bishop

The Memory Plays: Ruminate by Helen Vivienne Fletcher, We are the Experiments by Oliver Probert, The Ides of June by Ethan D. Rodgers

Committed by Clarissa Chandrahasen

Actual Fact by Meg Rollandi and Isobel MacKinnon

The Turkish Dogs are Racist by Barnaby Olson, Jonathan Price, Andrew Paterson, Stevie Hancox-Monk and Tess Sullivan

Santa Claus by A Slightly Isolated Dog

Life in the Whale by Vincent Conrad

CAPITAL E

  3   works

  2   New Zealand works (67%)

  1   Māori works (33%)

  0   Pasifika work

  0   Asian work

  3   works by women (100%)

  2   works by NZ women (67%)

  2   co-written works (67%)

Odd One Out by Jo Randerson and Thomas LaHood

Story Studio Live by Olive Aldridge, Frank List,Awa Puna and Cerys Wiles

Ann-Droid by BandArt Productions

MASSIVE COMPANY

  1   work

  1   New Zealand work (100%)

  1   Māori work (100%)

  1   Pasifika work (100%)

  0   Asian work

  1   work by women (100%)

  1   work by NZ women (100%)

  1   co-written work (100%)

Sightings by Fiona Graham, Miriama McDowell and Denyce Su’a

TAKI RUA

  3   works

  3   New Zealand works (100%)

  3   Māori works (100%)

  0   Pasifika work

  0   Asian work

  1   works by women (33%)

  1   works by NZ women (33%)

  1   co-written works (33%)

He Kura e Huna Ana by Hōhepa Waitoa

Hine Kihawai by Hone Hurihanganui

KAHIKATEA ORGANISATIONS

 

CENTREPOINT THEATRE

16 works

13 New Zealand works (81%)

  2 Māori works (13%)

  2 Pasifika works (13%)

  0 Asian Work

  9 works by women (56%)

  8 works by NZ women (50%)

  5 co-written works (31%)

The Love List by Norm Foster

Still Life with Chickens by D.F. Mamea

That Bloody Woman by Luke Di Somma and Gregory Cooper

The Messy Magic Adventure by Lizzie Tollemache and David Ladderman

Peter Pan by J.M Barrie, adapted by the cast

Club Cabaret devised by the cast

Promise and Promiscuity: A New Musical by Jane Austen by Penny Ashton

Lashings of Whipped Cream by Fiona Samuel

Allergic to Love: Curse of the 80s by Tom Knowles

A Christmas Carol by Dan Bain

Hudson and Halls Live! by Kip Chapman with Todd Emerson and Sophie Roberts

Daughters by Maya Levy

Period by Amy Atkins

G+ Force by George Fenn

It’s Mackenzie Country, Bitch by Jess Jean

TE POU

17   works

16   New Zealand works (94%)

  7   Māori works (41%)

  2   Pasifika works (12%)

  2   Asian work (12%)

10   works by women (59%)

10   works by NZ women (59%)

  5   co-written works (29%)

Herstory by the company

Maniac (On the Dance Floor) by Natasha Lay

Krīdati by Jay Clement and Ariel Cronin

No Science to Goodbye by Anna Wilson

Cat Dog Rat by Justin Wilson and Michael Brown

The Iliad by Claire Ahuriri-Dunning and James Dunning

Beneath Skin and Bone by Trae Te Wiki

Such Stuff as Dreams by Camilla Walker

Aroha Mai by Katie Longbottom

Dope by Daniel Tomlin

Tampocalypse by Embers Collective

Meremere by Rodney Bell

The Chairs by Eugéne Ionesco

The Chairs by Eugéne Ionesco, translated by Ani-Piki Tuari

The Chairs by Eugéne Ionesco, translated by Aleni Tufuga

The Chairs by Eugéne Ionesco, translated by Henry Liu

Cradle Song by Albert Belz

 

BARBARIAN PRODUCTIONS

  3   works

  3   New Zealand works (100%)

  0   Māori work

  0   Pasifika work

  0   Asian work

  3   works by women (100%)

  3   works by NZ women (100%)

  3   co-written works (100%)

Soft n Hard by Jo Randerson and Thomas LaHood

Grand Opening concept by Jo Randerson and Thomas LaHood

It’s a Trial devised by Karin McCracken, Joel Baxendale, Jo Randerson, Maria Williams and Anya Tate-Manning

THE CONCH

  1   works

  1   New Zealand works (100%)

  0   Māori work

  1   Pasifika works (100%)

  0   Asian work

  1   works by women (100%)

  1   works by NZ women (100%)

  1   co-written works (100%)

The Naked Samoans Do Magic by The Conch and The Naked Samoans

INDIAN INK THEATRE COMPANY

  2   works

  2   New Zealand works (100%)

  0   Māori works

  0   Pasifika works

  2   Asian work (100%)

  0   works by women

  0   works by NZ women

  2   co-written works (100%)

Welcome to the Murder House by Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis

Mrs Krishnan’s Party by Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis

RED LEAP

  2   works

  2   New Zealand works (100%)

  0   Māori works

  0   Pasifika works

  0   Asian work

  1   works by women (50%)

  1   works by NZ women (50%)

  1   co-written works (50%)

 

Dust Pilgrim by Red Leap

Kororāreka: The Ballad of Maggie Flynn by Paolo Rotondo

SILO THEATRE

  5 works

  2 New Zealand works (40%)

  1 Māori work (20%)

  0 Pasifika work

  0 Asian work

  3 works by women (60%)

  2 works by NZ women (40%)

  3 co-written works (60%)

Body Double by Eleanor Bishop and Julia Croft with Karin McCracken

Cellfish by Miriama McDowell, Jason Te Kare and Rob Mokaraka

HIR by Taylor Mac

Mr Burns, A Post-Electric Play by Anne Washburn

Here Lies Love by David Byrne and Fat Boy Slim

 

TAWATA PRODUCTIONS

  2   works

  2   New Zealand works (100%)

  2   Māori works (100%)

  1   Pasifika works (50%)

  0   Asian work

  1   works by women (50%)

  1   works by NZ women (50%)

  0   co-written work

Bless the Child by Hone Kouka

The Night Mechanics by Mīria George

 

YOUNG & HUNGRY

A Country of Two Halves by various

  1   works

  1   New Zealand works (100%)

  1   Māori works (100%)

  1   Pasifika works (100%)

  1   Asian Work (100%)

  1   works by women (100%)

  1   works by NZ women (100%)