From “big, lush productions” to solo shows, artistic director and CEO Jonathan Bielski says the common thread in Auckland Theatre Company’s 2025 schedule is a great night out.
While there are plenty of laughs as well as icons of the theatre canon with Dame Agatha Christie and William Shakespeare, there are also moments of thought-provoking reflection.
The MiNDFOOD-sponsored season of Murder on the Orient Express stars Cameron Rhodes as Hercule Poirot in the unmissable whodunnit (above), while a sun-drenched version of Romeo & Juliet sees Theo Dāvid and Phoebe McKellar meet as the lovers in a Missoni and Pucci-inspired take on 1960s Italy. In End of Summer Time, Sir Roger Hall brings back one of his most famous characters, Dickie Hart.
Another featured work, TIRI: TE ARAROA WOMAN FAR WALKING, also addresses the current mood of the nation in a slightly different manner. A new adaptation of Witi Ihimaera’s only play, it tells the epic tale of Tiri Mahana, an 185-year-old matriarch, from her birth at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi to present-day Aotearoa. Written and performed in 2000, it had a celebrated run. Now, Ihimaera is revising it slightly for a new era. In an historic move, it will be performed in two parts each night, once in English and after a short interval, once more in te reo Māori.
“The importance of te reo Māori, what the Treaty means, the debate around Treaty principles – that’s very much part of a heightened public consciousness,” says Bielski. “Sometimes art can respond to those cultural and political moments … I’m creating a space for artists to debate the issue.” He says in this case Ihimaera and creatives Katie Wolfe and Maioha Allen have a platform to respond to that public dialogue. “Besides, it’s a cracking good play. It would be at any time to put it on, but it feels right, right now.”
Auckland Theatre Company artistic director and CEO Jonathan Bielski says of the 2025 season: “What I’m responding to with these works is tough times and people wanting entertainment. They want a good night out, they know what they’re going to get, there’s favourite actors on stage. They want to come along and have a laugh and see a really well-produced play.“
Ticket, please
A mixtape for maladies by Ahi Karunaharan
4 – 23 Mar
Part of Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival, Ahi Karunaharan’s tale sweeps from 1950s Sri Lanka to modern-day Aotearoa. Directed by Jane Yonge, it is both a love letter to Sri Lanka and a lament. The story plays out over 17 songs – ranging from Dusty Springfield to La Bamba to the hit single from a Tamil romcom.
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted by Ken Ludwig
22 Apr – 10 May
One murder, eight suspects, and a wild ride that’s about to go off the rails. The classic that birthed an entire genre comes to the stage with Cameron Rhodes as the inscrutable Hercule Poirot in a very funny adaptation supported by an exceptional cast including Rima Te Wiata, Sophie Henderson, Ryan O’Kane and Mayen Mehta.
End of Summer Time by Sir Roger Hall
17 Jun – 5 Jul
NZ’s most successful playwright Sir Roger Hall brings back one of his most famous characters, Dickie Hart, who made his first appearance almost 30 years ago in C’mon Black. It is an affectionate and hilarious skewering of an old grump who realises he still has a lot to learn about the world when he moves to Auckland to be closer to his grandkids.
William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
15 Jul – 9 Aug
The tale of passion and heartbreak is recast as a fast-paced thriller in this large-scale production directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson. Theo Dāvid and Phoebe McKellar play the star-crossed lovers in a Missoni and Pucci-inspired take on 1960s Italy, supported by a cast that includes Bronwyn Bradley, Miriama McDowell and Beatriz Romilly.
MARY: The Birth of Frankenstein by Jess Sayer
19 Aug – 7 Sep
A villa in Switzerland, in the dark winter of 1816. Mary Shelley stands over a bloodied corpse and knows her words are to blame. Written by award-winning playwright Jess Sayer in collaboration with Oliver Driver, the play builds on the bones of history to reimagine the events of the night that birthed one of the most famous novels of all time: Frankenstein.
TIRI: TE ARAROA WOMAN FAR WALKING by Witi Ihimaera
4 – 23 Nov
A new adaptation follows Tiri Mahana, a 185-year-old matriarch, from her birth at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi to present-day Aotearoa through significant personal and political moments of the times. While it is her story, it is our history.
