Beatrix Potter's beloved characters come to life as dancers of the Nelson Academy of Dance perform tales from the famous author. Peter Rabbit, Mrs Tiggywinkle and Jeremy Fisher the dapper frog, take to the stage for a festive performance that will delight children and adults alike.
Squirrel Nutkin, 2 Bad Mice, Pigling Bland, Country Mice, Tabitha Twitchett, and all the other characters will take you back to your childhood memories.
As can be expected from the Nelson Academy of Dance you will be treated to a wonderful set and stunning costumes, making this a performance not to be missed.
The Tales of Beatrix Potter is running as a double bill with The Jewels: emerald, ruby and diamonds.
Both ballets feature music by well-known composers, with Tales of Beatrix Potter arranged by John Lanchbery.
Gillian Francis is delighted to welcome back Jordan Nelson in this year's performances.
Jordan made his way into his first dance class at age 18 and began dancing professionally with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet and Columbia City Ballet. He has since danced with Elements Contemporary Ballet, Madison Ballet, Festival Ballet Providence and has been a guest artist around the world. His career highlights include: performing Tchaikovsky Pas de deux at the Harris theatre, dancing with stars of NYCB in Stars and Stripes and Allegro Brillante, and getting to perform numerous times on the Opera House stage at The Kennedy Center.
Jordan just finished his first season with Saint Louis Ballet under Gen Horiuchi and couldn't be more excited for what is still to come.
The African savannah comes to life on stage in Disney’s The Lion King Jr. Nelson Youth Theatre Company presents the one-of-a-kind musical that has captivated the imagination of audiences around the world.
We will follow the rise of Simba, a young lion who will succeed his father, Mufasa, as King of the Pride Lands. But after Simba’s malevolent uncle, Scar, kills Mufasa and tricks Simba into believing he caused it, Simba flees and encounters meerkat Timon and warthog Pumba who help mature him into a grown lion who eventually returns to confront Scar.
A wonderful musical for young and old to enjoy, featuring the combined creativity of Elton John and Tim Rice in this delightful retelling of a much loved story.
Join young, orphaned Oliver Twist as he navigates London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and - most importantly - for love.
With spirited, timeless songs like "As Long as He Needs Me", "Food, Glorious Food", and "Where is Love", Oliver! is a musical classic.
Renowned for its electric and stunning performances, "The Air Force on Tour" will take audiences on a wild ride of musical styles: from military classics to popular show tunes. You'll hear everything from Mozart to John Williams and even the Monarchy of Music; Queen. Soloists will include Murray Mansfield QSM on bagpipes, the thrilling Drum Line and astounding vocalist Barbara Graham.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force Band recently celebrated its 80th anniversary, and is often heard welcoming dignitaries at Government House, or providing music for commemorations at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park. It performed at the sold-out 2016 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, and most recently to a near capacity The Air Force in Concert at the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington. Don't miss the opportunity to witness the excitement of a full-sized symphonic band in concert!
It's literally legendary! A giant scale puppet show for 5 -10yr olds like you've never seen before, with magical glow-in-the-dark characters from Maori myth and legend! This innovative, cutting edge new concept combines glow-in-the-dark puppets under ultraviolet light inside a black box theatre space.
Rich in Te Reo Maori, it's an upbeat show that has the audience buzzing from the onset, with a myriad of education to take back to the classroom. It's a masterful 40-minute show, underpinned by catchy, music that engages the audience immediately, followed by a Q and A session afterwards for your tamariki.
Its voice and story are accessible to all. At its core is a delightful story about the Matariki star sisters as they prepare for Te Tau Hou and the journey of the smallest star, Waipuna-a-Rangi. 45 puppet characters are brought to life by the extraordinary talents of our puppeteers.
The 2018 MATARIKI GLOW SHOW toured from the Far North to South Auckland and attracted 12,000+ school children to 60 shows at 10 venues and many shows were sold out. And now it's your turn! We are coming to a venue very near your school and we're bringing our 5-metre-long taniwha and all his friends with us. You can't miss us!
"Theatre of the Highest Order" - Theatre Review 2018
Disney's The Aristocats KIDS and Disney's The Jungle Book Kids is a one hour double bill that is sure to entertain the entire family during the school holiday.
Based on the beloved Disney animated film, and featuring a jazzy, upbeat score, Disney's The Aristocats KIDS is a non-stop thrill ride of feline fun.
In the heart of Paris, a kind and eccentric millionairess wills her entire estate to Duchess, her high-society cat, and her three little kittens. Laughs and adventure ensue as the greedy, bumbling butler pulls off the ultimate catnap caper. Now it's up to the rough-and-tumble alley cat, Thomas O'Malley, and his band of swingin' jazz cats to save the day.
The jungle is jumpin' with a jazzy beat in Disney's The Jungle Book KIDS. Adapted from the classic Disney animated film, Disney's The Jungle Book KIDS features a host of colourful characters and your favourite songs from the movie: The Bear Necessities, Trust in Me, I Wanna Be Like You, Colonel Hathi's March and That's What Friends are For.
Ghost the Musical is the musical adaptation of the hit film starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore and follows Sam and Molly, a young couple whose connection takes a shocking turn after Sam’s untimely death.
Trapped between two worlds, Sam refuses to leave Molly when he learns she is in grave danger. Desperate to communicate with her, he turns to a storefront psychic, Oda Mae Brown, who helps him protect Molly and avenge his death. Featuring such popular songs as “With You” and the Righteous Brothers’ classic “Unchained Melody,” this powerful love story is sure to become a fan favourite!
PG: Adult themes
Please note: In this performance there will be several gunshots and prop guns used.
Short bursts of strobing is used throughout the performance.
Ever wondered how a theatre works or wanted to have a better understanding of what is involved to make a production come to life? The Theatre Royal’s Open Day is the perfect opportunity to find out!
For the fourth year in a row, we are throwing open our doors and inviting you to step behind the scenes, giving you the opportunity to tread the boards of our stage and we will show you exactly how our theatre operates including the fly tower!
You will also have the opportunity to meet many of our local artists and companies who perform regularly at the theatre, join our Royal Family and find out about our technical training programmes that are available throughout the year.
It’s your chance to be ‘centre stage’! If you’ve ever wanted a look behind-the-scenes, to see how the magic of theatre really works, now is your chance.
Mr Science presents an Environmental Science show for Seaweek 2019 in Nelson and Blenheim. This show will be fun, engaging and a totally immersive experience for the crowd, involving many children from the audience. A show to remember!
Topics will be:
- Plastics and how they influence our oceans.
- Seas warming up and levels rising.
- Ocean acidification.
- Climate variables.
- Managing natural resources.
- Sustainable fishing.
- Gases (CO2, ozone).
- Marine life.
- Bio-security.
- Seafood production.
Mr Science has developed several educational children's shows that have toured the South Island. He has a great variety of experience in putting on exciting science events, starting with Seaweek 2013, and Celebrate Science with Cawthron in subsequent years.
The New Zealand Dance Company (NZDC) forges its stellar national and international reputation for powerful contemporary dance with its first national tour of Kiss The Sky, “a diverse magical experience” that “grabs your attention from start to finish” (DANZ).
Artistic Director Shona McCullagh showcases an Asian-Pacific constellation of original dance, music, and design, reflecting on the themes of nature and time.
In Kiss The Sky, McCullagh combines the high-octane physicality of Korean choreographer and composer KIM Jae Duk in his work Sigan; the vibrant aesthetic of New Zealand’s Victoria Colombus in her world premiere work The Fibonacci; and expands into a triple bill for the May leg of the tour with the powerhouse choreography of renowned Stephanie Lake in the eccentric and imaginative If Never Was Now for “an evening of sensory indulgence” (Theatreview).
KIM Jae Duk’s quartet Sigan, commissioned for NZDC, draws from the dual themes of meditation and attack. A dynamic score created by Jae Duk himself features traditional Korean instruments: jang-gu (drum), kkwaenggwari (small gong) and jing (large gong) within a contemporary composition. The stunning dancers of NZDC shine Sigan, which is "...not only visually, but technically flawless" (DANZ).
Victoria Columbus’ new work The Fibonacci, co-commissioned by the Festival of Colour and NZDC, is a reflection on the hidden pattern that weaves us together and reflects the harmony of our world. In a tribute to the memory of Susan Paterson, this commission is also generously supported by Jane Vesty, Greg Fahey and Brian Sweeney of SweeneyVesty.
Columbus alongside sound and spatial designer Rowan Pierce use the mathematical Fibonacci sequence and its mysterious golden spirals as a point of departure, examining and creating a physical language that at its heart explores energy pathways through movement, as the connecting force between us all.
Stephanie Lake’s If Never was Now is a surreal hive of buzzing activity reflecting the beauty and brutality of the natural world through "… moments of darkness, violent aggression, frustration with chaos amongst playfulness” (Theatreview). Somewhere in the future, but also with a feeling that it’s right at the beginning, Lake, who is one of the world’s most innovative choreographers, allows room for ambiguity with the contrast of the digital and robotic world paired against the biological and natural.
With design also by Jo Kilgour (lighting), Ben (Bosco) Shaw (lighting), Elizabeth Whiting (costume), Andrew Treloar (costume), Rachael Walker (set) and Robin Fox (composer) the exceptional ”versatility, virtuosity and artistry” from the high-calibre NZDC dancers and “excellence of the design and production teams” (NZ Herald) Kiss The Sky will leave you dreaming for more.
Note: Tickets will go on sale in February 2019.
