Improvisors from all over Aotearoa New Zealand come together for two spectacular nights of Comedy for Christchurch. Improvised stories, poems, songs and silliness will unfold before your very eyes. Scenes that have never been seen before (and perhaps should never be seen again!) will be created from your suggestions in the style of Whose Line is it Anyway?

The evening is MC'd by our very own improv whizz, Dan Allan, with all profit going to those affected by the Christchurch attacks. Show your support for those who are hurting right now as we come together as a community to send aroha from Nelson to Christchurch.

Tickets from $12, or add an extra donation.

CDP presents Tall Stories' production of Room On The Broom adapted from the award winning picture book by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, published by Macmillan Children's books.

How the cat purred and how the witch grinned,
As they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind...

The witch and her cat are flying happily on their broomstick - until a stormy wind blows away the witch's hat, bow and wand.

A helpful dog, bird and frog find the witch's lost things, and they all hop on the broom for a ride. But this broomstick's not meant for five and - CRACK - the broom snaps in two!

Tickets will go on sale on 19 February 2019.

Please contact the Box office for Early Childcare Centers and Schools students groups bookings.

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

Originally staged in the UK, this Le Navet Bete critically-acclaimed production is now being presented by the Nelson Repertory Theatre. Directed by local theatre legend Hugh Neill (One Man, Two Guvnors, Hound of the Baskervilles), this fast-paced and innovative comedy is now having its New Zealand premiere in Nelson!

Taking audiences on a journey across Europe from the dark and sinister Transylvanian mountains to the awkwardly charming seaside town of Whitby, the frantic Van Helsing and his three hapless actors try to stage a life-changing, factual theatrical production of the events of Dracula. Will they pull it off? It’s highly unlikely!

With four actors playing over 30 characters, you’ll see sensational slapstick, frantic costume changes and airborne props, all strung together with clever dialogue and hilarious wordplay.

Dracula – The Bloody Truth is a comedy to sink your teeth into!

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.

Nelson Youth Theatre Company presents this full length High School Edition of Chicago. In roaring twenties Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband, Amos, to take the rap...until he finds out he's been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another "Merry Murderess", Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the "American Dream": fame, fortune, and acquittal.

Featuring the hit songs "All That Jazz", "Cell Block Tango", "When you're Good to Mama", "We Both Reached for the Gun", Mister Cellophane", "Razzle Dazzle" and of course "Roxie".

"A pulse racing revival that flies us right into musical heaven." - The New York Times
"Wildly entertaining...[with a] dazzling score." - New York Daily News

PG: Adult themes
Please note: In this performance there will be several gunshots and prop guns used.

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.

Unfortunately Alex Williamson has been forced to cancel his show at Theatre Royal on Wednesday 20 March for personal reasons.

A New Musical by Jane Austen and Penny Ashton

Flushed by six years of success, from Edinburgh to Toronto to a sellout Nelson Arts Festival, returns Penny Ashton’s collaboration with Jane Austen (deceased). Join Miss Elspeth as she battles literary snobbery, cousin Horatio’s digestions and her mother’s nerves, armed only with a blushing countenance, excellent ukulele skills & being quite bright, you know... for a girl. In this hilarious, one-(freakishly talented)-woman show, Penny (Radio NZ’s Panel, Olive Copperbottom, Hot Pink Bits) tackles all of Austen’s characters with song, dance & appalling cross-stitching.

Best Theatre, Week Three - Adelaide Fringe
Touring Production of the Year - Dunedin Theatre Awards
Best Solo Show - Victoria Fringe, Canada

"PRIDE AND PREJUDICE GONE WILD IN THE BEST WAY" - 5 stars - Rip It Up

"A DELIGHT" - 5 stars - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

"SPARKLING" - 4 stars - The Scotsman

Borderline Arts Ensemble - Aotearoa New Zealand

Inspired by the works of the great surrealist painters, Lobsters is a story about love itself, and the way we must peel away our shells to find our authentic selves.

Lobsters fuses invigorating contemporary dance with the eccentric and humorous story of a lobster who was once Salvador Dali's muse. She tells of her rise and fall, from celebrity artistic icon to washed-up cabaret singer, and observes with irony two young lovers (inspired by the famous painting by René Magritte) who struggle to connect their idealized image of love with reality.

Choreographer Lucy Marinkovich, recently returning from practising in Germany, Spain, France, Croatia and Singapore, combines talents with Athens-Wellington-NYC based theatre maker Miranda Manasiadis, to bring you the athletic and visually compelling Lobsters.

"...bawdy, sensual, glamorous, dirty, beautiful, and melancholic cabaret of ruminations on love, sex, and longing." THEATREVIEW

"...intense, physical, compelling..." DEIRDRE TARRANT

Awards
Wellington Theatre Awards 2017 - Best Ensemble Performance - EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER
Lucien Johnson - Wellington Theatre Awards 2017 - WINNER - BEST SOUND DESIGNER
Wellington Theatre Awards 2017 - Carmel McGlone - CAMPION AWARD FOR MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE