Hagley Theatre School

Puppetry and Contemporary Actor Training at Hagley Theatre School.

Puppetry occupies a unique place within contemporary performance practice, sitting at the intersection of acting, movement, design, storytelling, and visual theatre. While internationally recognised as a sophisticated performance discipline, it has historically received limited attention within formal drama school curricula in Aotearoa New Zealand.

At Hagley Theatre School, we believe puppetry is an essential component of twenty-first century actor training and a valuable taonga within New Zealand's wider performing arts ecology. The study of puppetry develops fundamental acting skills by deepening an actor's understanding of presence, focus, breath, physical precision, ensemble awareness, and the communication of emotional truth through movement. It challenges performers to create life beyond the self, fostering a heightened sensitivity to space, object, image, and audience perception.

As theatre continues to evolve through interdisciplinary and visually driven forms, actors increasingly benefit from training that extends beyond traditional text-based performance. Our commitment to puppetry reflects a broader vision of actor education: one that embraces innovation while honouring established performance traditions.

If you are interested in rigorous actor training and exploring new approaches to performance-making, we invite you to audition for Hagley Theatre School.

Auditions: 31 October
www.hagleytheatreschool.com

The Larval Mask: Exploring One of Hagley Theatre School's Most Powerful Training Tools

Larval masks are oversized, simplified face forms that capture characters in an early stage of development not yet fully human, but full of potential. Their function is to train performers to amplify physical expression, using minimal gestures with maximum clarity. With no fixed age, gender, or psychology, they invite curiosity, playfulness, and discovery.

Their broad shapes and strong lines demand subtle and precise movement, helping students access a state of wonder, openness, and imaginative exploration. Developed through the work of Jacques Lecoq and influenced by masks of carnival from Basel in Switzerland, larval masks invite actors to slow down, observe, and discover how character emerges through minimum movement.

Because the face is hidden, the body must speak. Every gesture, every shift of weight, every glance becomes meaningful. The actor learns to communicate with clarity, imagination, and physical precision.

At Hagley Theatre School, larval mask training forms part of our investigation into theatre creation and embodied acting practice. This approach develops versatile performers who can work across theatre, film, education, and interdisciplinary arts.

As one of New Zealand’s leading centres for actor training and theatrical research, HTS continues to engage with international performance traditions while fostering a spirit of artistic discovery unique to Aotearoa.

✨ Auditions are now open for those ready to expand their creative practice and discover new ways of making theatre.

Apply Today:
www.hagleytheatreschool.nz

Discover the Neutral Mask at Hagley Theatre School

At Hagley Theatre School, work with the neutral mask is at the heart of actor training. Developed through the teachings of renowned theatre practitioner Jacques Lecoq, the neutral mask encourages performers to discover presence, awareness, physical clarity, and openness before character, emotion, or psychology are introduced.

Through this transformative process, actors learn to listen with their whole body, engage with space, and develop the foundations of expressive theatrical performance. Neutral mask training is a cornerstone of Lecoq's pedagogy and remains one of the most influential approaches to physical theatre training worldwide.

Hagley Theatre School offers a unique opportunity in New Zealand to engage deeply with this tradition as part of a comprehensive actor-training programme. If you are looking for rigorous, imaginative, and physically based theatre training, we invite you to audition.

Auditions: 31 October
Apply now: www.hagleytheatreschool.nz

Last month, we proudly launched the Hagley Theatre School Alumni Gallery in the Auripo Auditorium. This living archive celebrates the unique journey of our students and marks the completion of their training at HTS. It honours their dedication, growth, courage, and creative risk-taking, while ensuring that every cohort remains present in the space where students continue to train each day. More than a gallery, it is a lasting tribute to the achievements of our graduates and the ongoing impact they make in the world beyond Hagley Theatre School.

Ready to begin your own journey? Auditions for Hagley Theatre School’s 2027 intake are now open. Join a vibrant community of emerging theatre-makers, challenge yourself creatively, and develop the skills to bring your artistic vision to life. Audition on 31 October 2026 and take the first step towards your future in theatre. Apply now: www.hagleytheatreschool.nz

Great opportunity!
The Festival of New Theatre, a collaboration between the Isaac Theatre Royal and Rollicking Entertainment, gives playwrights the chance to hear new work performed in front of an audience and explore how it comes alive on stage.
Applications are open to playwrights from Ōtautahi and across Te Waipounamu/the South Island, particularly writers whose voices and experiences have been underrepresented on New Zealand stages.
Selected playwrights will take part in a professionally supported staged reading, working with directors and performers, receiving audience feedback, and connecting with fellow artists through workshops and discussions.
As opportunities to hear new work performed can be rare, the festival aims to create space for fresh stories, ideas, and voices to be shared.
Find out more and apply here: https://isaactheatreroyal.co.nz/event-2026-festival-of-new-theatre
Applications close: 14 August at 1pm

Event: 2026 Festival of New Theatre | Isaac Theatre Royal Experience bold new stories at the 2026 Festival of New Theatre, featuring staged readings, workshops, and opportunities for artists and audiences to connect and grow.

Play seriously. Discover your way of making theatre.

Hagley Theatre School auditions for 2027 are now open.

Join our intensive one-year training programme where creating theatre is at the centre of the learning experience. Work alongside experienced practitioners, develop your artistic voice, collaborate with other emerging artists, and make original performance work as part of a supportive creative community.

Whether you're beginning your theatre journey or looking to deepen your practice, HTS offers hands-on training that values curiosity, initiative, collaboration, and creative risk-taking.
Hagley Theatre School is currently seeking NZQA accreditation for its two existing courses, with the intention of offering them as a Level 4 Certificate in Acting and a Level 5 Diploma in Performing Arts.

📍 Ōtautahi Christchurch
🎭 Auditions: 31 October
🗓️ Applications close: 30 October

Secure your audition spot:
🔗 www.hagleytheatreschool.nz

🎭 Congratulations to Hagley Theatre School graduate Lola Houghton, whose solo work "The Meeting" will be presented at Basement Theatre, Auckland, from 25–29 August!

First developed during our Six-Month Theatre Creation Course, "The Meeting" was created by Lola in collaboration with Artistic Director Dr Pedro Ilgenfritz, who also directed the production.

Following its Christchurch premiere in 2025 at the Isaac Theatre Royal, "The Meeting" went on to be part of the 2026 NZ Fringe Festival at BATS Theatre in Wellington. Next stop - the Basement season!

We are so proud to see our graduates sharing their original works it with audiences across Aotearoa and the world! 🌍

✨ Want to start your own journey in theatre creation?

Auditions are now open for our 2027 One-Year Acting Training Course. Apply now and take the first step with Hagley Theatre School: https://www.hagleytheatreschool.nz/

https://basementtheatre.co.nz/blogs/whats-on/the-meeting

The Meeting The Meeting shows at Basement Studio 25-28 August 2026