Fresh look for iconic theatre

Fresh look for iconic theatre

The Hannah Playhouse has a new look and purpose.  Jane O’Loughlin went to find what’s behind it.

Now with a new name and fresh identity, The Hannah is leaning into its role as an incubator for a broad range of Wellington performance art.

Built to home the famous Downstage Theatre group, the Brutalist building on Cambridge Terrace has long been a key part of Wellington’s performance culture and is now nurturing much more than theatre in its new role.

Now called The Hannah: Theatre & Performance Lab, the flexible 243-seat theatre space has operated for the past year as ‘a creative engine room’ dedicated to performance, experimentation, and professional development for Aotearoa’s boldest and most independent theatremakers.

“Some people still call us Downstage and we're hoping that the new look and everything will help us make our own mark,” says General Manager Eleanor Strathern, regarding the new look branding created by graphic designer Lily Paris West.

With half of its annual use now dedicated to the development of new works, the space provides a much needed rehearsal and design space for medium to large performances.

Strathern gives the example of circus trio Laser Kiwi, who are popular on the fringe festival circuit.

“They have a small space in Berhampore but this provided them with a very large space and they’ve built a brand new work that will premiere in Edinburgh soon.”

The space has clearly found a niche, because bookings are pencilled in for the rest of the year, with some periods having up to five groups on a waiting list hoping for a slot to open up.

The theatre is available for all kinds of performance, from music to opera, theatre to circus. 

Strathern says that a new website and more social media and communications channels will help let people know what’s going on behind the scenes – and reassure them that the space is being used, even if no performances are being advertised.

Another innovation may see the public invited in to see productions in their development stage.

“I want people to come to The Hannah to experience something new.  It might be something that is brand new, that is making a premiere, but it also might be something that's halfway through its development, that's asking for feedback,” Strathern says.

“And that's not really something we do in New Zealand so much. It's extremely common overseas. People will preview a show before reviewers are allowed in the door for a whole month, but we just don't have the culture of that nor the population.

“But because we're a hub for development, we want to welcome people into the process, and I hope that people get excited about that.”

Strathern has been in the role a year and pays tribute to Isabel McKinnon, the previous manager, and Murray Lynch, the Chair of the Hannah Playhouse Trust, along with Stephen Blackburn the Wellington City Council’s Manager of City Events.

“The Hannah has always been a space where artists take risks, try new things, and push the limits of performance,” says Strathern. “Now, with this new identity, we’re putting that spirit front and centre — and inviting the public to arrive curious.”