THE COURT THEATRE TRUST 2016 REPORT CONTENTS 2016 Report Chairman ___________________________ 3 The Dunstan Creek Séance ____________ 18 Chief Executive _______________________ 5 The Events _________________________ 19 Artistic Director ______________________ 6 A Christmas Carol ____________________ 20 Mary Poppins ________________________ 8 The Court Jesters ____________________ 21 Winston’s Birthday ____________________ 9 Children’s Shows ____________________ 22 Macbeth ___________________________ 10 Midwinter Readings __________________ 24 Matthew, Mark, Luke & Joanne ________ 11 Education Manager __________________ 25 Educating Rita ______________________ 12 Matariki - Little Eyes in the Sky _________ 26 That Bloody Woman _________________ 13 Duets/Lysistrata _____________________ 27 Waiora: Te ū kai pō – The Homeland _____ 14 Court Company _____________________ 28 The Streaker ________________________ 15 Partners & Funders __________________ 30 Legally Blonde The Musical ____________ 16 Financial Statements _________________ 31 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ___________ 17 Independent Auditor’s Report _________ 46 2 CHAIRMAN 2016 Report y emotions are running high that support us through grants and as I write this report and I turn sponsorship and in 2016 we were joined Mmy thoughts to The Court and by a new Principal Sponsor, led by an the year that has been. But perhaps the indefatigable trio of brothers – Giesen emotions are more complex as it is our Wines. city that I’m also thinking about. The brothers, Theo, Marcel and Alex, We have progress in the CBD… the have generously supported us in the past semblance of a city! Steel, concrete and and it’s an honour for us that they have glass forms. And people. In contrast, taken on this leadership role. Their wines we still have road cones, diversions and and craft beers have reached peaks of detours. We put up with this because we achievement and regularly now win have progress. accolades both internationally and at The city is in repair. The underground home. We hope that we can bring them new audiences. infrastructure is now largely completed a laugh, a smile, a frown or to pose a The Court Foundation has reinvented and SCIRT has done its job. Rather question. From the very young to the itself as it prepares to lead a major than slip away unnoticed, SCIRT has very old there is a rich and appealing gift campaign to support the future of reinvented itself in Kaikoura where there attraction to the work you have all the company. Our gratitude goes to is an all too familiar picture of grief, played a part in creating. Jenny Reeve, the retiring Chair, and our stress and anxiety accompanying the A big thanks also to Ross Gumbley, welcome goes to Catherine Boyer who destruction. Our thoughts go out to the our Artistic Director, who has once again has taken on the mantle. Catherine’s people of North Canterbury. selected a programme that has been specific skills and experience in The residential build in Christchurch is well balanced and set standards even fundraising will be gratefully embraced. long past its peak. Now the commercial higher in terms of performance. If there John Holland and Laura Palomino build is having its day in the sun with is one play that I could single out that de Forbes joined that organisation as the public sector build starting to show really did it, not only for me, but for every Trustees, while John Harrison stepped its presence. We have confidence that audience, that would be That Bloody down having given service on both the soon we, The Court, will join the ranks in Woman. What a musical! Trust Board and the Foundation Board redeveloping. Finally, Philip Aldridge. A very big thank as well as having being a committee The Court has continued to deliver and you from the Board. We are so fortunate member of The Supporters and a Chief perform artistically and commercially. to have such a talented Chief Executive. Usher for many years. It was a delight to It’s with great pleasure that I thank Leading an artistic organisation is never see such dedicated service recognised my fellow Trustees for not only their going to be easy. We hope and trust you when he became the inaugural Fellow of support and enthusiasm but also their sleep soundly at night knowing that you The Court. have our full support. commitment to The Court. The Trustees The Court Supporters are family. This To the future. We have a great 2017/18 have continued to pursue best practice large group of theatre lovers do so much programme. We are going to make great models of governance. We have invested for the company by way of fundraising progress this year in our quest to build in time in governance training, reviewed and the gift of their time as ushers and the city. Watch this space… practices and we annually carry out front of house volunteers. They are ably Board and Trustees’ evaluation through led by Rev. David Winfield as Chairman the provision of services from our and his hard-working committee and we Steven van der Pol distinguished sponsors, Sheffield Ltd, for offer them our sincere gratitude. - Chairman which we are very grateful. To the wide and talented staff at The We owe great thanks to all of our Court, a big thank you. You often put in partners. To Creative New Zealand, the huge hours and continue to lift the bar bedrock of our funding, to Christchurch in every aspect of The Court. It is one City Council, to Meridian Energy, to the amazing company and always a pleasure many grant making trusts that support to see everything come together on the us particularly Pub Charity, Mainland stage, giving so much joy to so many Foundation and the Rātā Foundation. people. Our audience is diverse and There are over 100 organisations yet there is always something to bring 3 44 CHIEF EXECUTIVE 2016 Report t the risk of being dull, excuse me a for us. It became clear that I must adapt little repetition. I began my and improve. 2015 Annual Report by reporting It also became clear that this would Aanother record year of attendances at develop into a key theme of a change The Court. 2014 had also set a record. I’m programme – everyone of us needs delighted to report that we can say the to embrace change, behaviours and same of 2016. attitudes. That sounds as good as it undoubtedly What came through most strongly was is but it masks a series of fitful results. the dedication, passion and love of the Plays that we thought would sell strongly theatre that binds us all to the work and did well – but not what we planned. is brought to the stage daily – which is Plays that we thought carried greater what the audience sees. And this is not risk surprised us with outstanding about us, it’s about the audience. attendances. The new New Zealand We also were able to distribute an end punkish rock musical, That Bloody of year bonus to everyone who worked in Woman, about Kate Shepherd, fell into the company in 2016 – actors, designers, the latter category and the 99% business contractors and staff, about 250 people. that Mary Poppins (from the book by PL This is something we are rarely in a The Chairman’s report records our Travers written in NZ, in Christchurch too) position to do. We did it in 2007 and 2012 grateful thanks to the many donors, achieved in 2016 meant we were home but it’s rare that there is sufficient surplus funders and companies that we partner and hosed even with the other blips. The to give a little Christmas Bonus. The with to make this enterprise sing. I echo longer I spend in this business the more amount is not large but it is a significant his gratitude to them all. The stage is a I understand how little I know. Who’d be way for the company to recognise that collaborative art which brings together an arts programmer? In retrospect it all we are only as good as the people we artists from a spectrum of practices seems obvious, as many commentators employ. and similarly we collaborate with wide observe. ‘Of course Mary Poppins would and diverse constituencies to fund our work.’ It doesn’t seem so obvious when iscussions with council and endeavours. To them all we owe deep we are planning. government, which have limped gratitude. The larger than anticipated forward since the government My thanks too go to the whole Dannounced in 2012 that The Court would company, the actors, designers, directors attendances allowed us to implement some initiatives beyond budget. We move back into the inner-city, began to and teachers who create wondrous commissioned four new plays, where gain traction towards the end of 2016. worlds of inspiration for us as well as all we had planned two; we undertook Government, now represented by the those who work behind the scenes: the additional play development; we new body Ōtākaro Ltd, has acquired the technicians, stage managers, builders, invested in IT and training but most majority of the land designated for the administrators and supporters (the significantly we invested in the Performing Arts Precinct and the Council wondrous Supporters!). development of the culture within the has committed funding to the project. I’m particularly appreciative of the company and individual professional Not enough to build a new Court but management team who have faced development. enough to keep us at the table. change and challenge in 2016. These This last part is a significant initiative At the risk of a little repetition from things have been tackled with courage for us.