What's New
12 May, 2021
Access all areas at the PumpHouse
The PumpHouse Theatre is drawing back the curtains for the public, holding an open day next Sunday.
“There’s a lot of areas at the PumpHouse that people don’t get to see,” says manager James Bell. But on 23 May from 10am to 4pm, they will get the chance to go backstage, try on some costumes and learn about the theatre’s “ghost”.
The free event is a chance to explore the heritage building which became a community arts venue when a group of determined North Shore residents 50 years ago formed a trust for that purpose.
Appropriately there will be some performers popping up on the day.
The open day was originally planned for last year, but delayed due to Covid-19 lockdowns. Bell’s hope is the event becomes an annual one. Anyone interested can turn up for a tour.
Shoreside Theatre, known for its Shakespearean productions, will bring along costumes, providing dress-up fun. Stalls set up by the Lake House Arts Centre and Takapuna Primary School’s PTA will also feature.
The next day, an invitation-only event will be held to mark the trust’s formation in 1971. This saved the old brick building and transformed it into a theatre opened a few years later.
Bell says a strength of the PumpHouse is its flexibility in being able to accommodate a range of shows in its main theatre and studio space.
“Anyone who wants to perform here can come and do it.”
This guaranteed it was able to look ahead with confidence.
For those who like a spot of history, a special early model of the PumpHouse, discovered in a cupboard during a clean-out, has now been restored by volunteers at the Men’s Shed in Glenfield. It is hoped it will be put in a special display case in time to go on show at the open day and anniversary celebrations.
Regular users and fans of the facility who wish to join The Friends of the PumpHouse group can do so at the open day. The $35 annual fee helps support the venue and also means no booking fees apply to show tickets.
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