Something for Everyone from Top of the South

Four great shows come to Nelson (Blenheim/Ashburton) this year as part of the Top of the South Arts Touring Consortium. The Theatre Royal and Nelson School of Music are part of this, along with the Ashburton Events Centre and the Marlborough Civic Theatre. (change order depending on release area)

The consortium was formed last year and received Creative New Zealand Regional Presenter and Audience Development Funding for up to $300,000 over the next three years, with a further allocation of up to $33,000 per year to develop and deliver an audience development plan for each region.

Theatre Royal Manager Janice Marthen says the search for professional New Zealand artists to present was an exciting one and delivered a great result.

“We were looking for shows that would cover the different audiences who like to see music, dance comedy and theatre in our regional centres and we have achieved that,” she said. “In March we have the Kids of 88 – an Auckland duo with a hybrid rock ‘n roll and dance sound that’s made them one of the hottest young Kiwi bands around; in May we present the Black Grace Dance Company, whose fusion of Pacific and contemporary dance has gained them a reputation as New Zealand’s leading contemporary dance company; in August we have The Improvisors presenting the very funny and very clever Improv the Musical; and in September we will be staging Station to Station - a funny and quite dark new play by Bruce Mason Award-winning playwright Michael Galvin.”

Ms Marthen said the 2011 programme was just the beginning of some very exciting shows to be staged by the Top of the South Arts Touring Consortium.

“The funding we have from Creative New Zealand gives us the capability to expose high quality performances in the regional centres of the Top of the South,” she said. “It bridges the gap between arts festivals when venues like ours have to depend on what is being toured, and at the same time it helps in the growth and development of New Zealand performers by giving them the opportunity to perform outside the main centres.”

The dates for the Nelson shows are:
Kids of 88 at the Nelson School of Music – March 10, 7.30pm
Black Grace at the Theatre Royal - May 12 & 13
Improv The Musical at the Nelson School of Music – August 22 & 23
Station to Station at the Theatre Royal – September 13 & 14

Kids of 88
Hot new wave Auckland duo Kids of 88 will be the first group to appear at the Nelson School of Music under the new Top of the South Arts Touring Consortium. Jordan Arts and Sam McCarthy aka Kids of 88 are best known for their 2008 single, My House, which helped to get them signed to Sony Music who released their album Sugarpills last year.
As Incursa, they won the 2004 Smokefreerockquest, and McCarthy is also a member of the band Goodnight Nurse. They cite their influences as ‘Groove, mood, and slutty arrangements,16th hi hats and hand claps, culture and couture, gangster and glamour’.
Tickets are on sale now from TicketDirect or from the Nelson School of Music Ticket Office, check out www.nsom.co.nz
Adults - $37.00
Under 16 - $32.00

ENDS

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