Judging by their 2026 programme, the team at The Court Theatre must be loving their new building and the flexibility it gives them. The main auditorium, the Stewart Family Theatre, is big enough to cope with a Gilbert & Sullivan romp or can be intimate enough for a tender two-hander exploring love and loss. 

Meanwhile, the smaller Wakefield Family Front Room gives city favourites Scared Scriptless a venue to continue their endless run of impro, with Saturday night added to the regular Friday slot till late April at least. There’s also another uncomfortably funny play by Victor Rodger, and a back-to-back sporting double bill from The Court Youth Company.  

Making the most of the whole facility, the Rainbow Theatre Festival returns as well, promising to be “bigger and gayer than ever”.

For full details of The Court Theatre’s 2026 programme, head to courttheatre.org.nz

STEWART FAMILY THEATRE

The Importance of Being Earnest

21 Feb - 21 March

Oscar Wilde’s ageless comedy of manners. The setting is Victorian England but the wit and barbs ring true for every age.

Wahine Mātātoa: The (Mostly) True Story of Erihāpeti Pātahi

18 April - 9 May

Playwright Cindy Diver brings her Kāi Tahu ancestor alive as she weaves a narrative of adventure and compromise in this uniquely southern story.

Let the Right One In

23 May - 20 June

A bullied teen befriends a mysterious neighbour, uncovering dark secrets as a string of brutal murders shakes their isolated community.

Teenage Dick

12 Sep - 10 Oct

A hilarious and twisted take on Shakespeare’s Richard III, picked up and dropped into high school as “the new kid”.

Heartbreak Hotel

14 - 24 Oct

How does heartbreak affect our minds and bodies? In some funny ways, according to this tender two-hander.

The Pirates of Penzance

20 Nov - 30 Jan 2027

The Gilbert & Sullivan classic. Expect a noisy reboot from the team at The Court.

WAKEFIELD FAMILY FRONT ROOM

Feeling Afraid As If Something Terrible Is Going To Happen

14 March - 2 April

From the Olivier Award-winning producers of ‘Fleabag’ and ‘Baby Reindeer’ comes this dark comedy by Marcelo Dos Santos (‘Backstairs Billy’).

At the Wake

18 July - 15 Aug

From playwright Victor Rodger (Black Faggot), this sharp and darkly funny play sees family tensions rise to the surface at a funeral.

The Wolves

29 Aug - 11 Sep

The Court Youth Company with a portrait of adolescence played out on the turf of an indoor soccer pitch.

Alone it Stands

30 Aug - 12 Sep

A retelling of Munster’s legendary 1978 victory over the All Blacks, from The Court Youth Company.

RAINBOW THEATRE FESTIVAL

5 - 8 March

A celebration of queer creativity and community.