Plans For Professional Theatre In Christchurch

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30808, 21 July 1965, Page 7

Plans For Professional Theatre In Christchurch

Plans were in hand to establish a professional drama theatre in Christchurch, Mr T Kincaid, president of the Canterbury Repertory Theatre Society, and Mr J. Kim, a director of the society and a member of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council’s drama committee, said this week.

They said that during the visit to Christchurch of the producer, Mr Richard Campion, they had had talks with him and had outlined fully their society’s plan for the development of a Christchurch theatre centre on the site of the Repertory Theatre Society’s present theatre in Kilmore street.

The centre, as envisaged, would have separate facilities for an autonomous professional company with its own controlling authority and an amateur theatre, which would be the Repertory Theatre Society, which was to remain wholly amateur, and it would have areas for drama workshops and training. An architect was preparing plans for altering the existing theatre to the needs of the theatre centre. The alteration of the building would not require the use of rate money, which Cr. H. P. Smith, chairman of the Christchurch City Council’s finance committee, had deplored when asked to comment on Mr Campion’s suggestion that rate money should be used, but it would require positive support from the council to establish the theatre centre as a cultural amenity in Christchurch, they said. The establishment of a theatre centre in Christchurch would permit a link-

ing with the recently formed New Zealand Theatre Centre. That body would have a regional responsibility in guidance and assistance which would allow greater parallel development of regional theatres by mutual assistance in the engagement of artists and in negotiating for performance rights for plays.

The Repertory Theatre Society’s plans for a Christchurch theatre centre had advanced to the stage where it was expected that a regional professional theatre would be in being in Canterbury next year. Messrs Kincaid and Kim said that though Mr Campion now knew of the society’s plans he had not been aware of them when he had suggested the City Council should build a professional theatre out of rate money.