Who We Are
We are risk-takers! Our work pushes boundaries.
We deliver unique and innovative New Zealand theatre with high production values. Our works mix rich poetic language with music, visual arts, puppetry, illusion and choreographed movement. Theatre is the perfect space to incorporate all art forms.
We are risk-takers! Our work pushes boundaries. We want to excite and surprise audiences to what is possible theatrically.
We possess a deep love and passion for the theatre art form.
We believe that theatre should be a transformative experience – audiences should go into the theatre space and come away seeing the world in a new way….or at least seeing the possibility that the world around us is not always as it seems.
Artistic Directors
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DirectorBen trained at The John Bolton Theatre School in Melbourne.
After graduating he set up Theatre Stampede with Vanessa Chapple – they created a range of works together including The Young Baron, Blossom & The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In 2005 Ben began collaborating with Carl Bland and Peta Rutter from Nightsong Productions. Together they made Head and 360 – a theatre of recollections. Carl and Ben have continued to work together since this time, officially forming Nightsong in 2017. Their collaborations include: Te Pō, Spirit House, Mr Red Light, The Worm, A Stab In The Dark and I Want To Be Happy.
Ben has also worked extensively as a freelance director and creator. He’s worked with Auckland Theatre Company, Silo Theatre, Red Leap, Dust Palace and The Edge (now Auckland Live) amongst others. He is often engaged on the development of new works.
He also teaches theatre making and performance; recent engagements have included University of Auckland, Toi Whakaari, Unitec, South Seas Film School and The Pacific Institute of Performing Arts. Additionally he enjoys working with a more community focus; such as with MIXIT – the refugee arts programme and on Artist in Resident projects within the school system
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Writer / DirectorCarl Bland trained at The Chelsea School of Art completing a BA (Hons) in Fine Art and also at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London.
He wrote and created his own theatre shows with Peta Rutter under the name Nightsong Productions. Their shows included The Bed Show, The House of Doors and Camels, Peta and Carl at the Last Supper and Sofa Stories. Collaborating with Theatre Stampede, they also made Head (2005 winner of Chapman Tripp Most Original Production) and 360 – a theatre of recollections for the 2010 New Zealand Festival. 360 won an inaugural excellence award and also The Hackman Cup, the people’s choice award for most original production, at the 2014 Auckland Theatre Awards. His play Te Pō premiered at The New Zealand Festival and The Auckland Arts Festival in 2016 winning an excellence award at the Auckland Theatre Awards. In 2017 he premiered Spirit House starring Ian Mune at the Herald Theatre and had a return season of Te Pō at Q theatre in Auckland. In 2017 he established the theatre company Nightsong with Ben Crowder. Their collaborations together since then include Mt Red Light, A Stab In The Dark, The Worm, and I Want To Be Happy.
Carl has also been a finalist in the NZ Post Children’s Book Awards in the Picture Book section, and a winner of the best use of illustration in the Spectrum Book Awards. He was The Grimshaw Sargeson Fellow at Auckland University in 2018.
Support
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