Nayland College’s diverse Performing Arts programme brings Dance, Drama and Music to the Theatre Royal stage in the annual showcase of exceptional performance talent. The school takes part in several annual activities including Smokefree Rockquest, The NZCF Big Sing Choral competition, the MEFA Band and Orchestra Festival (Wellington), the Vast Dance Festival and numerous other Arts activities.
This evening gives the Nayland and Nelson Communities the opportunity to support youth performance and have an enjoyable night out at this celebration of creativity, talent and hard work!
RQP presents Showquest - a night to celebrate creative rangatahi.
Showquest is a nationwide performing arts programme and a platform for youth voices to be heard. Be amazed by original stage performances combining Art, Music, Dance, Drama, Culture and Technology. Students design, produce and perform their stories in a powerful night of celebration with the community.
Young designers will follow the performances with the TOI wearable art showcase - prepare to be WOWed! Watch friendly inter-school rivalries heat up as ākonga explore the issues that are important to them. Join friends and whānau in supporting local emerging talent on the big stage!
Showquest and TOI are proudly presented by RQP, champions for young creators and producers of Smokefreerockquest, Smokefree Tangata Beats, Rockshop Bandquest, OnScreen and Stills.
Nelson Repertory Theatre presents the beloved Broadway classic musical.
Step into the enchanting world of My Fair Lady and the story of Eliza Doolittle, a spirited Cockney flower girl with big dreams, and Henry Higgins, a brilliant but arrogant phonetics professor. Higgins bets he can transform Eliza into a proper lady of society through speech and manners alone; their unlikely journey of self-discovery, romance and transformation begins.
With charming and witty songs like 'I Could Have Danced All Night' and 'Wouldn't It Be Loverly', you are in for a real musical treat; featuring the creme de la creme of Nelson’s acting and singing talent.
Director - Lynley Bradshaw
Musical Director - Chris Lukies
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Join Nelson Youth Theatre for a whimsical adventure in Alice in Wonderland JR!
Dive down the rabbit hole and into a fantastical world with Alice in Wonderland JR! Follow Alice as she journeys through a magical land filled with quirky characters, including the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, and more! With vibrant music, colourful costumes, and enchanting scenes, this family-friendly production is sure to captivate audiences of all ages.
Come along for a whimsical ride full of surprises, laughter and timeless fun. Don’t miss out on the adventure—grab your tickets today and experience the wonder of Alice in Wonderland JR!
Get Ready to Rock 'n' Roll with Nelson Youth Theatre’s production of Grease the Musical!
Step back in time to the 1950s with Grease, the iconic musical that brings you all the thrills, romance and unforgettable hits! Follow Danny, Sandy, and the rest of the Rydell High gang as they navigate love, friendship, and teenage rebellion. With classic songs like “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’”, and “You’re the One That I Want”, this high-energy, feel-good show will have you singing and dancing all night long!
Don't miss your chance to experience the magic of Grease. It’s electrifying, it’s fun, and it’s a blast from the past! Get your tickets now!
Following sell-out seasons of Seussical and The Addams Family, Nayland College is delighted to bring Blood Brothers to the Theatre Royal stage.
The 5th longest running show on the West End, with over 10,000 performances, Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins separated at birth, who grow up on the opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences.
When Mrs Johnstone, a young mother, is deserted by her husband and left to her own devices to provide for seven hungry children, she takes a job as a housekeeper in order to make ends meet. It is not long before her brittle world crashes around her when she discovers herself to be pregnant yet again – this time with twins. In a moment of weakness and desperation, she enters a secret pact with her employer which leads inexorably to the show’s shattering climax.
Book, Music and Lyrics by WILLY RUSSELL
AN AMATEUR PRODUCTION BY ARRANGEMENT WITH ORiGiN™ THEATRICAL ON BEHALF OF SAMUEL FRENCH LTD, A CONCORD THEATRICALS COMPANY.
Nelson Youth Theatre celebrates 25 Years of Awesome Theatre, encompassing 250 plays and musicals!
Past and present Nelson Youth Theatre members perform songs and big chorus numbers from a range of musicals, with numerous overseas professionals presenting video clips of their work or journeys to inspire the next generation!
Featuring songs from Chicago, We Will Rock You, Grease, Legally Blonde, Frozen, The Lion King, Oliver!, Mamma Mia!, Six, Aladdin, The Sound of Music, Annie, Madagascar, The Little Mermaid, 9 to 5, The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and others.
Recommended 12+, parental guidance advised. (Content includes depictions of violence and mild adult themes.)
Get ready for an unforgettable twist on Shakespeare’s Macbeth! Join us for a thrilling, saucy rendition of this classic tragedy, reimagined with a sassy, sexy bluegrass flair by award-winning theatre company, The Barden Party.
Three words: Music. Mischief. Magic.
Picture the dark, twisted tale of ambition and betrayal—now with a cheeky, bluegrass-infused soundtrack that will have you toe-tapping along to the drama. With The Barden Party’s signature blend of humour, heart, and live music, this adaptation of Macbeth transforms Shakespeare’s gripping tale into a raucous, rocking, and ridiculously entertaining performance.
From the company that brought you:
Romeo & Juliet - Winner of Best Theatre/Physical Theatre (Adelaide Fringe 2024)
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Dunedin Fringe Excellence Award 2022
Butterfly Smokescreen - The immersive superyacht experience on Seabreeze III
Don’t miss your chance to see The Barden Party’s much anticipated version of Macbeth on its opening weekend!
This indoor performance promises an evening of scandal, spirit, and Shakespeare like you've never seen before! Includes songs by artists such as: Mumford & Sons, Dolly Parton, The Steeldrivers, Hosier, Albi and the Wolves, Old Crow Medicine Show, Poor Man's Poison, Noah Kahan and more.
Book now to secure your seat for this sensational performance!
Adapted by Laura Irish
Musical Arrangements by Ollie Howlett
Directed by Laura Irish, Ollie Howlett and Wiremu Tuhiwai
Cast:
Laura Irish, Ollie Howlett, Caleb James, Tara McEntee, Criss Grueber, Emilia Higgs, Hamish Boyle
Starring Helen Moulder
Directed by Jeff Kingsford-Brown
The magnificent Cynthia Fortitude is definitely in the twilight of her long career as operatic diva. Tonight, she has arrived to give a musical lecture for the inaugural meeting of the Nelson Tasman Opera Guild (NELTOG). Her longsuffering accompanist, Miss Gertrude Rallentando, is nowhere to be found, so Cynthia must battle on without her.
“I wanted to honour the character of Gertie,” Helen says. “My good friend, Rose Beauchamp, who played Gertie for thirty years with me in Hens’ Teeth, The Legend Returns and Cynthia & Gertie Go Baroque, sadly died in 2022, and I wanted the delicious character of Gertie to live on somehow.” Gertie does not appear in this show of course, but is very present in all sorts of ways!
“Helen Moulder’s determined, dotty and totally delightful Cynthia…. an unbeatable gem of a comic character.” – Laurie Atkinson, Dominion-Post
“A most enduring clown, an irreverent and fanciful diva.” – Thomas La Hood, Theatreview
Please note, seating is General Admission (not allocated)
The 2024 Gala Concert is the culmination of a jam-packed year of performing at Nayland College.
This celebration of the Arts features items from Vast Dance Festival, the Solo Performing Arts Competition, The Addams Family, the Contemporary Music showcase, Rock Quest, the KBB Music Festival, the NZCF Big Sing and the Dance Showcase.
Join our instrumental groups, choirs, dancers and actors for this wonderful celebration of the Arts.