Basement Theatre

Basement Theatre Kicking Arts Since 2008 Nau mai ki te tapere o Basement Theatre. If you are interested in hiring our theatre or studio space flick us an email for an info pack.
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Smack-bang in the middle of a central city car park, Basement Theatre is where Auckland’s creative community congregates to share ideas, share a drink, and satiate their appetite for boundary-pushing, disruptive and urgent works. We’re home to an artistic mixtape of theatre makers, dancers, visual artists, poets, musicians and comedians, and chocka-block full of original, local, responsive content

. We proudly showcase the best new voices and Aotearoa’s unique perspective across our two performance spaces (Studio upstairs, and Theatre downstairs), and beyond. [email protected]

FREE LGBTQIA+ friendly short film screening event this SAT only!Five Films For Freedom is screening at Basement Theatre ...
26/03/2026

FREE LGBTQIA+ friendly short film screening event this SAT only!

Five Films For Freedom is screening at Basement Theatre this Sat 28 March, 6:30PM

A celebration of LGBTQIA+ expression via five crafted short films from: UK, Mexico, France, Vietnam and Brazil.

Shout out to British Council New Zealand and BFI Flare with support from Auckland Council.

To secure your seat, please register via the QR code https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2026/mar/five-films-for-freedom-screening?view=info

All registered ticket holders go in the draw for fun adult-friendly prizes courtesy of:

Adult Toy Megastore, Aroha Pride Co and Burnett Foundation Aotearoa.

Five Films For Freedom is coming to Basement Theatre on Sat 28 March. These beautiful short films celebrate diversity, i...
22/03/2026

Five Films For Freedom is coming to Basement Theatre on Sat 28 March.

These beautiful short films celebrate diversity, inclusion and Aroha.

Basement has partnered with the British Council New Zealand and BFI Flare and is supported by Auckland Council to ensure this event is accessible to all.

Join us for this FREE screening event.

We’re going to fire up our new laser projector so you don’t wanna miss this!

Films playing this year come from Brazil, Mexico, UK, France and Vietnam.

To secure your spot please register via the ticket link:

https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2026/mar/five-films-for-freedom-screening

A monk and a courtesan switch souls in this riotous, soul-shaking satire based on a 7th-century Sanskrit farce. Sacred m...
11/07/2025

A monk and a courtesan switch souls in this riotous, soul-shaking satire based on a 7th-century Sanskrit farce. Sacred meets scandal in this fearless Gujarati folk theatre experience—Bhavai unleashed!
By Shailesh Prajapati

Gujarati Sahitya Mandal NZ Inc. is a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting Gujarati language, literature, and performing arts in Aotearoa. Since 2016, the group has brought over a dozen original and adapted Gujarati productions to New Zealand stages. Led by Shailesh Prajapati—a seasoned filmmaker, director, and Bhavai-trained artist—the group supports emerging South Asian artists and preserves traditional storytelling through bold contemporary performance.

Ranggheli: The Bhavai Saga
22-26 JUL, 8PM
Basement Theatre

⭐DOMINIC HOEY⭐Poet, novelist, playwright and retired rapper. Look! It’s Chilli’s Dad and Basement superstar Dominic Hoey...
10/11/2024

⭐DOMINIC HOEY⭐

Poet, novelist, playwright and retired rapper. Look! It’s Chilli’s Dad and Basement superstar Dominic Hoey.

Raised by the mean streets of Tāmaki Makaurau, Dom will forever be one of our favourite O.G artists. The voice of a generation, Dom crafts work across multiple performance platforms that is always honest, hilarious, intelligent and straight from the heart. Some of Dom’s greatest shows were born on the Basement stage, and we’re so proud of that.

What makes us the most proud of Dom, is that he always brings others with him. Mentor to countless rangatahi, Dom has been clearing pathways for the next wave of rebels for years.

Dom is giving Big Priest Energy just for this campaign, and he’s hoping you do the same.

With your help we will raise $60K by 15 November.

Donate: https://basementtheatre.co.nz/donate

BE A BASEMENT FUNDING GOD.

⭐ANA SCOTNEY⭐Now's here's a gifted performance maker if ever you saw one. It's Basement superstar Ana Scotney.Hailing fr...
23/10/2024

⭐ANA SCOTNEY⭐

Now's here's a gifted performance maker if ever you saw one. It's Basement superstar Ana Scotney.

Hailing from Te Whanganui A Tara with whakapapa that takes her back to the ngahere of Te Urewera, Ana really needs no introduction. An incredibly gifted multi-disciplinary artist whose body of work and highly respected practice speaks for itself, And truly is a beacon for all of us. You will have seen Ana bring the most incredible characters to life in some of our country's standout films, and if you've been lucky enough to see her theatre work as well, you'll know how out-of-this-world talented Ana really is. Ana's recent theatre work Scattergun (After The Death of Ruaumoko) was developed at Basement, and we still hear about how much this show has left lasting impressions upon peoples' hearts. And who remembers Ana's breakout work, Contours of Heaven? If you do, you're an O.G, and you're also a lucky lucky human to have experienced it.

It's an honour to support artists like Ana, one that we don't take lightly. With your help, we can continue to get behind phenomenal artists like this.

Ana is calling on you, dear funding gods, to get behind our fundraiser and help us push through!

With your help we will raise $60K by 15 November.

Donate: https://basementtheatre.co.nz/donate

BE A BASEMENT FUNDING GOD.

⭐NATHAN JOE⭐Tāmaki's brainiest, most loveable theatre nerd has joined the cause, and is praying you will too, oh funding...
17/10/2024

⭐NATHAN JOE⭐

Tāmaki's brainiest, most loveable theatre nerd has joined the cause, and is praying you will too, oh funding god. It's Basement superstar Nathan Joe.

If you've been to Basement, you've been to Nathan. Theatre maker, performer, creative director and critic - Nathan has pretty much done all there is to do. Nathan IS theatre, he lives and breathes it and is a massive part of the Basement community.

Cultivating work like Nathan's is our jam. It surges at the edges of what we know, it pushes culture forward, and it helps us realise that the futures we want are possible.

We need to keep supporting the Nathans of our country. Will you get on board the cause by becoming a Basement Funding God?

With your help, we will raise $60K by 15 November.

Donate - https://basementtheatre.co.nz/donate

BE A BASEMENT FUNDING GOD.

⭐ BRYNLEY STENT⭐Starlet of the television, maiden of the theatre and it-girl of the comedy scene, it's Basement supersta...
16/10/2024

⭐ BRYNLEY STENT⭐

Starlet of the television, maiden of the theatre and it-girl of the comedy scene, it's Basement superstar Brynley Stent.

Brynley is a huge part of our history and legacy. She is adored by all and it's no secret that she's helped make Basement what it is today. Truly! Like many of Aotearoa's favourite celebs, Brynley has crafted some of her coolest work and tested her funniest material on our stages.

We need to keep supporting the Brynleys of the country, and we can't do it alone.

With your help we will raise $60K by 15 November.

BE A BASEMENT FUNDING GOD. Donate today: https://basementtheatre.co.nz/donate

📷 Ralph Brown

🙏 Your favourite little theatre in the whole wide world needs your divine intervention ​🙏At Basement Theatre, we believe...
10/10/2024

🙏 Your favourite little theatre in the whole wide world needs your divine intervention ​🙏

At Basement Theatre, we believe in the power of storytelling and we back local artists one hundred percent. It’s that simple folks. For 16 years, our small but mighty theatre has been an iconic cultural beacon, it’s the place where some of our country’s best stories are told, and where your favourite performance artists cut their teeth. Those local comedians all over TV that you know and love? They probably started at Basement. Those artsy heartthrob performers with the shaggy mullets and aloof attitudes that you secretly wish you were as brave and cool as? Yup they started here too.

We’re also a place where diverse artist communities can upskill and give live performance a go in a low-risk setting. We’ve been dedicated to supporting the freshest of artists develop ideas, learn the ropes and gain confidence. We set them up to succeed in this tough little industry, we are ferociously dedicated to this work, and we make a massive contribution to the arts in Aotearoa. It’s just facts.

But now, we need your help to ensure the show can go on.

Like many theatres up and down the country we are facing considerable pressures, and running a venue is mighty expensive. We’ve seen costs go up faster in the last year than ever before, and we’ve got some pretty hefty expenses to meet before the end of the year is up.

In times of trouble such as this, we usually turn to the FUNDING GODS. We put a lot of our faith in these funders, crossing our fingers and toes and praying that everything works out. But now, funding bodies are suffering from inflation and budget cuts just as much as we are!…So what pray tell shalt we do?!?!?

We can’t just leave it up to the funding gods to decide Basement’s future any longer, If you believe in what we do and want to help us make ends meet, COULD YOU BE A FUNDING GOD for Basement Theatre?

You may not have control of Auckland’s chronic flooding or the never-ending roadworks, but maybe you have the power to see your favourite theatre make it through this hectic time. Can you help us take the control away from cosmic influence?

To continue bringing you the stories you love and backing the phenomenal artists who tell them, we are launching a special fundraiser. Our goal is to raise $60,000 by 15 November and every donation - no matter the size - will make a difference. We are putting our faith in you to be a Funding God and donate what you can to Basement Theatre today.

Your FUNDING GOD contribution will:

🙏Help fund our final season of the year
We have an incredible spring season happening RIGHT NOW and your donation will help us cover all staffing and administration costs, venue upkeep and general costs associated with putting on

🙏Enable all of our artists to put their work on without paying for venue hire
Putting on a show is a colossal financial undertaking. To make sure artists can still create shows in this universe, the majority of our artists don’t pay any venue hire fees.

🙏Enable us to maintain the Living Wage
Support our bar staff, contracting technicians and operators to earn the Living Wage as a minimum.

🙏Enable us to make our space as safe as possible
We’ve been hit with some pretty hefty maintenance work that needs to be done so that we can maintain fire safety regulations. Ensuring everyone is safe in our space is of utmost importance.

We are accepting offerings big and small at https://basementtheatre.co.nz/donate now until 15 November.

We are putting our faith in you to be a Funding God and donate what you can to Basement Theatre today.

With gratitude,
Basement x

Donate now: https://basementtheatre.co.nz/donate

Photo of the Basement Theatre team by John Rata

08/10/2024

A Slow Burlesque opened to standing ovations over the weekend, and audience members are raving:

"One of the best things I've seen this year."
"I was moved. I was smiling cheek to cheek the whole time."
"It was full of life and joy and naughtiness."

A Slow Burlesque is back on stage in the theatre all week. Check out the 3pm matinee and free post-show talk with Adam Rohe, this Saturday! Click here for more info: https://bit.ly/SiloAllyship

👠 A Slow Burlesque
🎭 Created & Performed by Freya Silas Finch
📅 On now until 19 Oct
📍 Basement Theatre

🎟️ Book now: https://bit.ly/ASlowBurlesque

📹 Harry Matheson

Chookas to the incredible A Slow Burlesque team on their opening night tonight!From the mind of one of the most exciting...
03/10/2024

Chookas to the incredible A Slow Burlesque team on their opening night tonight!

From the mind of one of the most exciting young artists in Aotearoa, Freya Silas Finch, comes a story a lifetime in the making. A story about transformation; about dressing up; about becoming nothing; about becoming everything.

And tonight, we get to reveal it all to you – welcome to A Slow Burlesque!

Presented by Silo Theatre
👠 A Slow Burlesque
🎭 Created & Performed by Freya Silas Finch
📅 3-19 Oct
📍
🎟️ Book now at iticket.co.nz or hit the link in our bio

Basement Theatre acknowledges the passing of Kiingi Tuheitia, a great pou of Aotearoa. We will remember Kiingi Tuheitia ...
10/09/2024

Basement Theatre acknowledges the passing of Kiingi Tuheitia, a great pou of Aotearoa. We will remember Kiingi Tuheitia for how he dedicated his life to unity within our country. We would also like to acknowledge and celebrate the succession of his daughter Te Arikinui Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō. We are filled with optimism for the impact she will make as she continues the legacy of her tupuna, and inspires future generations.

Address

Lower Greys Avenue
Auckland
1010

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