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Auckland Theatre Company

Auckland Theatre Company was founded in 1992, out of the ashes of the Mercury Theatre, and produced its first season in 1993.

We introduced ourselves to the world under the leadership of Simon Prast with the world premiere of David Geary’s Lovelock’s Dream Run, directed by Raymond Hawthorne ONZM at the Watershed Theatre. During Simon’s tenure, the Company established itself as a
successful artistic force, performing at theatres across the city.

From mid-2003 to 2021, the Company was led by Artistic Director Colin McColl ONZM, who created an unprecedented 18 seasons during a highly productive period in which the Company established a permanent base at Balmoral and set the scene for a theatre to call home.

In 2016, after a decade of dreaming, planning and fundraising, the Company opened its own theatre, the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Wynyard Quarter, creating a new platform where theatre-makers could work at scale.

Across its history, Auckland Theatre Company has nurtured new writing by New Zealand playwrights, investing in commissions and world premieres every year. This commitment to the New Zealand theatre vernacular remains the backbone of the Company’s artistic work. Our purpose of ’Powerful storytelling that connects communities and enriches lives’ is manifested in five programme strands.
We: 

  • Produce theatre of scale and ambition,  presenting outstanding New Zealand and international work that thrills audiences and builds community.
  • Develop new work by New Zealand theatre artists, reflecting the community of which we are a part and nurturing the next generation of New Zealand storytellers.
  • Inspire and engage young people, through initiatives in which young people can participate, through school and independently, as audience and as artists.
  • Provide leadership for the performing arts sector, offering professional development and resources that nurture theatre workers.
  • Programme ASB Waterfront Theatre to fulfil its potential as a cultural asset for the benefit of Aucklanders.

The result of our work is: ’Inspired and enriched communities, where storytelling uplifts, educates, unifies and enhances well-being’.