Free Theatre Christchurch

17/06/2026

Leonce and Lena by Georg Büchner was performed by Free Theatre 18-29 October 1983, in the Free Theatre at The Arts Centre during the period when the Arts Centre was taking Free Theatre to Court in an attempt to evict us for “excessive noise disturbance” (a case which was won by Free Theatre with thanks to our lawyers at the time Chris McVeigh and Peter Dyhrberg).

Directed by Peter Falkenberg with Set and Poster Design by Tony Geddes, Music by Nick Frost , Lighting by Neil Williams and Dave Mitchell, Stage Management by Lara Strongman , Publicity by Karen Beanland, Construction by Mark Gerrard, Sound by Allan Cameron and Featuring Performers Laurens van der Lingen, Stuart McKenzie .a.mckenzie, Sarah Raymond, Nicholas Frost, Nansi Thompson , Charles Heywood , Julia Allen, George, Vicky Danrell, Punch, Tom, Dick, Harriet and Peter.

Geddes set design was described as “a mixture of a world machine, ship of fools and puppet theatre within the theatre - as the Free Theatre is within the bigger Arts Centre and the Arts Centre within Christchurch city theatre... and so on.”

Photos by Simon Dyer

24/03/2026

‘Kafka’s Amerika’ conceived and performed in The Gym in the Arts Centre by Free Theatre in 2014 was an interactive multimedia production exploring the all-pervasive America of our present as achieved utopia or nightmare.
 
Karl - Andrew Clarke
Oklahoma Leader - Greta Bond
Gym Leader - Gijs Ochsendorf
Election Leader/Uncle - George Parker
Oklahoma Troupe - Louise Wynands-Days, Gwilym Wogan, Sarah Caughley, Morgan Hodgson, Jessica Shaw
F***y - Marian McCurdy
Devils/Angels - Dan Heaphy, Micaël Doljnikoff, Stuart McKay, Emma Johnston

Devised and Directed by - Peter Falkenberg
Set and Lighting - Stuart Lloyd-Harris
Set Construction Assistant - Micaël Doljnikoff  
Data Systems Analyst - Jasper Bryant-Greene
Data Systems Assistant - Ryan Reynolds
Trapeze Coach - Dan Heaphy
Costumes - Greta Bond
Producer - George Parker
Production Assistant - Marian McCurdy
Front of House - Maud Bernard Verdier, Jack Coggins

Texts by: Farah Abraham, Antonin Artaud, Julian Assange, CAFCA (Campaign Against Foreign Control in Aotearoa), Kyle Chapman, Jean Cocteau, John Donne, Kim Dotcom, Bill Frist, Allen Ginsberg, Franz Kafka, John Key, H.P. Lovecraft, Chelsea Manning, Lindsay Mills, Sarah Palin, Dolly Parton, The Resistance Party, General George Patton, Presidents W. Bush, Clinton, Kennedy, Nixon, Obama, Truman and Wilson, Winston Peters, Maurice Saatchi, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Edward Snowden and Andy Warhol.

Music by: Diamanda Galás, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Billie Holiday, Stuart McKay, South Park, Arvo Pärt, Sun Ra, Soap and Skin, Scott Walker and Gwilym Wogan.

 

02/03/2026

Our April Kids Holiday Programme this year will be held on Monday and Tuesday in the second week of the school holidays at the Climate Action Campus, details below:

Monday 13th - Tuesday 14th April
9am-3pm
8-12 yrs
Climate Action Campus, 180 Avonside Drive
$130 per student

Scholarships available for families otherwise unable to afford the programme and local families will be prioritised, please get in touch.

During this two day kids holiday programme at the Climate Action Campus, participants (8-12 years) will create performances in our classroom and outdoor environment using mask, puppetry, physical theatre, design, film and music.

Please contact us directly for more information or to enrol a student in the programme: [email protected].

We’re a learning destination for Children's University Australasia (https://cuaustralasia.com/). Ask your school for more details.

13/02/2026

17/12/2025

‘Footprints/Tapuwae’ conceived and performed in the Arts Centre by Free Theatre in 2001. A bicultural opera that juxtaposed motifs from Wagner’s Ring Cycle with waiata and haka by comparing similarities and differences between German and Māori myths.

Directed by Peter Falkenberg and Taiporoutu Huata, with Andrea Cornor, Emma Johnston, Greta Bond, Helen Moran, Michael Adams, George Parker, Andi Thompson, Roy Montgomery, Nick Frost, Te Wera Tuhou, Karuna Thurlow, Nikora Nitro, Hamuera Kahi, Maraea Peawini, Te Mihinga Komene, Te Katoa, Grace Voller, Stuart Hoar, Richard Till, Shahin Yazdani, Chris Rudkin and Tess Kurzeme.

The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora

09/12/2025

One of the many spaces we have performed in over the years is (Old) Queen’s Theatre on Hereford St - built by Charles MacMahon in 1912 as Christchurch’s first purpose built cinema.

In 1929 it was acquired by McKenzie and Willis who added two floors.

We shared the top two floors with graffiti artists and pigeons from 2003 until the earthquakes from which it never recovered.

Footage: Fantasia, 2005

03/12/2025

03/12/2025

‘Fantasia’ devised and performed by Free Theatre in October 2005, Old Queen’s Theatre, 120 Hereford St.

An environmental, multi-media performance that confronted spectators with Western fantasies and nightmares of Arabia that have occupied our collective subconscious since the crusades.
 
Directed by Peter Falkenberg with design by Richard Till and film by Shahin Yazdani. Performed by  - Emma Johnston, Greta Bond, Ryan Reynolds, George Parker, Marian McCurdy, Kate Hamilton, Jess Stringer, Sarah Franks, Erin Hutching, Julia Campbell. With thanks to Sophie Lee, Jon Samia, Abby McAllum, Coralie Winn, Simon Troon, Alex Mulholland and Jasmine Chen.



25/11/2025

The special character of Tamariki School is a little treasure tucked away in Woolston and we spent a delightful Term 3 working with students there. Tamariki is a democratic “free” school and all students participate in decision making at every level in their whole school meetings which can be called at any time by any student for any reason. If only our parliament operated like these meetings! The kindness shown to one another and their respectful negotiation skills as they voted on and resolved issues as a whole school community was truly remarkable and very inspiring. Thanks so much for inviting us in to work with you.



📷 photos posted with permission

16/11/2025

“I wish there was a treaty, I wish there was a treaty, between your love and mine”

Thanks again for the support of our audiences to our performance of The Passionate Puritan and to our volunteers, the Phillipstown community, our funders New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT) Christchurch City Council and Pub Charity Limited and to The Pumphouse and City Salvage staff for sharing your beautiful space with us.

Photos Sabin Holloway