Leading light at Court

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33678, 30 October 1974, Page 5

Leading light at Court

Chris Mangin, literally a leading light in Christchurch theatre circles, is the latest full-time recruit to the Court Theatre.

Mr Mangin is an expert in backstage design and techniques, particularly in lighting. The nature of his work keeps him out of the public .eye, so that he is better known to the people who act in plays than to the people who watch them. But his work is highly regarded in theatre ' circles.

He will join the staff of the Court Theatre after Christmas.

Mr Mangin, an arts graduate of the Canterbury University, is at the moment teaching at Bumside High School. He designed the lighting for the Court Theatre’s

production of “Canterbury Tales” in the James Hay Theatre, was stage director of “The Royal Hunt of The Sun” at the Arts Festival, and stage manager of “Henry V” at the opening of the James Hay Theatre. He was also stage manager for Mervyn Thompson’s production of “Marat-Sade,” which played in the Ngaio Marsh Theatre, and at Downstage Theatre, Wellington, and in Dunedin. Mr Mangin’s first assignment for the Court Theatre as resident production manager will be “The Removalist,” to play in February. But a bigger undertaking, to which he is looking forward, will be the design and technical details of the lighting for the Court Theatre’s festival play in the James Hay Theatre in March.