• James Bell

The Youth take the stage this month!

The PumpHouse has some fabulous productions hitting the stage this month, which are sure to cure the winter blues! With performances from some talented local youth, to thought-provoking theatre, read what The PumpHouse has on offer this June.

Senior Vocal Competition, 1st – 3rd June

North Shore Performing Arts Society Inc. bring to the stage its 65th Annual Performing Arts Senior Vocal Competition. It will be held over Queen’s Birthday Weekend, culminating with the Becroft Aria Final at 4.30pm on Monday 3rd June.

During Queen’s Birthday weekend and prior to the Becroft Aria final, contestants in the Aria and others take part in various vocal classes including Musical Theatre, Operatic Solos, Oratorio, British and European Art song and German Lieder.

The various classes over the weekend carry prize money in excess of $12,000.00.

Come and enjoy our young singers as they embark on their singing careers!

Much Ado About Nothing, 6th – 8th June

Albany Senior High School Shakespeare Company presents William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, directed by long time PumpHouse and Shakespeare stalwart Allan Roberts.

This rollicking battle of the sexes is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. Don’t miss out on this fast paced, side splittingly funny production which combines Shakespeare’s fantastic comic characters and story lines with a concoction of modern edginess, and heavenly dose of pop cultured sprinkles.

An Unseasonable Fall of Snow, 22nd June

Simple Truth Theatre Company brings this thought-provoking show to The PumpHouse as part of their national High School tour. Over seven weeks the show gets performed 30 times – each time in a new location. As a result, the actors develop a special bond with the script and the characters which creates an energy on stage that is not to be missed.

Written by award-winning New Zealand playwright, Gary Henderson, An Unseasonable Fall of Snow is a raw, real and confronting investigation into toxic masculinity, and how isolation and disconnection can have severe effects on a person’s mental health.

Creative Talk: Tessa Duder, 28th June

Tessa Duder OBE writes for children and young adults and is also an author of short stories, plays and non-fiction. Her well-known Alex novels are critically acclaimed and have been published internationally.

We are privileged to have her come and discuss her writing process and share with us the background of her latest book, First Map: How James Cook Charted Aotearoa.

Tessa’s book reveals a story of courage, dogged perseverance and Cook’s extraordinary skills as both cartographer and seafarer.

Creative Talks are held monthly at The PumpHouse Theatre and entry is free.