When the Theatre Royal is not in use, we can take small groups on a tour around the building.
Learn about the history and the major refurbishment, look at 19th century artefacts, and see the technical side of the theatre, with backstage and on stage access.
Please note, there are quite a few stairs to negotiate.
Maximum 10 people.
Additional tour dates will be added.
Alternative days may be available upon request.
On the few days that the Theatre Royal is not in use, we can take small groups on a tour around the building.
Learn about the history and the major refurbishment, look at 19th century artefacts, and see the technical side of the theatre, with backstage and on stage access.
Please note, there are quite a few stairs to negotiate.
Maximum 10 people.
Additional tour dates will be added.
Alternative days may be available upon request.
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)
My Story, Your Issues
Paddy G, live on stage. Now this really is The F#$%ing News.
Paddy has written a book and he’s taking it on the road, from Stewart Island to Waitangi. The F#$%ing News is coming to a stage near you!
He will crack you up with his ripper yarns from a crazy life story.
This performance mixes journalism, stand-up comedy and motivational speaking - talking shit and giving uplifting messages about what it means to be a Kiwi.
Paddy was down, but he got back up again. He'll talk about the personal issues he has overcome, and the issues New Zealand needs to overcome.
In each place, he’ll tackle a local issue and show you a local hero.
And there will definitely be a Q and A!
Don’t f#$%ing miss this.
Disclaimer: There might be F-Bombs.
Join nanotechnologist Dr Michelle Dickinson MNZM for a fascinating journey into the incredible world of nanotechnology. In this family-friendly science lecture, Dr Dickinson will explain how the manipulation of matter at the molecular level - a tiny world only visible under the most powerful microscopes - is leading to incredible technological advances.
Suitable for ages 8 and over. Bring your curiosity out for an evening of fascinating conversation, exploring the world of the tiny with one of the world’s leading researchers and communicators in this field.
Dr Michelle Dickinson is a nanotechnologist, technologist and an educator. Winner of the Prime Minister’s Science Communication Prize and the Royal Society of New Zealand’s prestigious Callaghan medal, Dr Dickinson has dedicated her life to making the latest advances in science and technology accessible for everyone. Her accessible style and interactive presentations captivate audiences of all ages around the world - don’t miss this one night only presentation at Nelson’s Theatre Royal.
Originally created by Nanotechnologist and Materials Engineer, Dr Michelle Dickinson, MNZM—Nanogirl™ is a superhero with a difference!
Her superpowers don’t come from alien parents or magic—instead, Nanogirl builds them using the superpowers of STEM!
Nanogirl and her friends use their skills to engineer their way into - and out of - trouble in order to inspire and empower young people around the world to tackle some of the world’s biggest questions.
PechaKucha Nelson and the Theatre Royal bring you an informative and entertaining evening of presentations from a range of speakers with a Tuku 24 flavour.
PechaKucha (Japanese term for "chit-chat") is a storytelling format where presenters show 20 slides for 20 seconds each. It is non-stop, with each presenter having 400 seconds to tell their story, keeping it concise and fast-paced.
For this event, customers can pick their price. However, the $5 allocation has been used up.
R18
Who is the Māori elite? - I am! that’s right, me: Hori.
Join Māori elitist/artist Hori in this political satire piece as he tries to answer all the questions around Māori elitism or so called “treatyist”. Not inspired by this year’s anti co-governance tour, Hori has decided to do a tour of his own “The Māori Elite Tour”. This is a follow up chat to his M9 Speech earlier this year.
In his hour-long tongue-in-cheek presentation, Hori will speak to 5 art pieces he has created around the co-governance debate. The purpose is not to pour gasoline on the “Hate tour” but to create our own ahi or fire (& blaze that shit up), to offer more of a Māori comedic perspective to the kaupapa/subject.
Each Hori-rious night will begin at 6.30pm with drinks and kai , and at 7.30pm Hori will speak for an hour, clothing and artworks will be available. So come and have a kai and kōrero at one of the 10 elite shows across the motu/country.
Pick your price option: $15, $20 or $25
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!
As part of this year's Tuku 21, 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, 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.
Entry is free, and no need to book!
New Zealand's annual variety show and semi-pro pole art competition all rolled into one.
Come be dazzled by New Zealand's up and coming pole dancers and athletes competing in the Pole Artistry Grand Masters Competition. Guest appearances by local, national and international performers.
