First Shows Announced for Christchurch Arts Festival

MEDIA RELEASE: FRIDAY 12 MAY

FIRST SHOWS ANNOUNCED FOR CHRISTCHURCH ARTS FESTIVAL 2017

Hit show Hudson & Halls Live! will be part of the 2017 Christchurch Arts Festival and is one of a trio of shows announced today.

The three shows are all presented as part of the 2017 Festival in association with The Court Theatre.

Festival director Craig Cooper said the festival has cemented a strong relationship with The Court Theatre and is delighted to be a partner in presenting the three shows.

Hudson & Halls Live! is a Silo Theatre Production work created by Kip Chapman (who directed the hugely successful That Bloody Woman for the 2015 Festival) with Todd Emerson (Daffodils) and Sophie Roberts. As well as winning audience acclaim and rave reviews from seasons in Auckland, Wellington and Wanaka,Hudson & Halls Live! scooped up four major awards at the 2016 Wellington Theatre Awards.

The show transports audiences into a 1980’s television studio for the live taping of Hudson & Halls – New Zealand’s iconic television chefs and two of the country’s greatest entertainers.

“Hudson and Halls was such a big part of the ‘70s and ‘80s and there is a great fondness for the place Peter Hudson and David Halls had in New Zealand’s history,” Mr Cooper said. “They were New Zealand’s original great gay love story and this show captures the period so well – the days before Masterchef and social media. We’re delighted to have Hudson & Halls Live! as part of the festival.”

Also announced today are two additional shows at The Court Theatre – Matai, which is part of the festival’s EMERGE: Works in Development programme, and Scriptless: First Class.

Tulou Productions’ Matai explores the journey of a young man trying to find a balance between traditional Samoan culture and modern life: becoming Matai of the Aiga (family) is a great honour with even greater responsibility – but being a Matai is not an honour New Zealand-raised Lui wants.

Scriptless: First Class features the alumni ofScared Scriptless, New Zealand’s longest-running comedy show, coming together again to pull on their improvising pants for one night only.

“I was an original Court Jester and when The Court came to me with the idea of gathering together that ‘first class’ I knew we had to do it,” Craig Cooper said. “It’s been a few years since I’ve been back on stage and I’ve been invited, so I may just have to make an appearance that night.”

Christchurch Arts Festival 2017 runs from 30 August to 17 September and features more than 50 shows, performances and events – theatre, dance, music, classical music, comedy, cabaret, physical theatre, visual arts and ideas. The full programme will be announced on Monday 19 June and tickets go on sale onWednesday 21 June.

Tickets for Hudson & Halls Live!, Matai and Scriptless: First Class are on sale from Monday 15 Maythrough The Court Theatre courttheatre.org.nz or 0800 333 100 or (03) 963-0870. For full details visitartsfestival.co.nz

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