Hagley Theatre School

Hagley Theatre Company opened in 1988 under the artistic direction of Sam Beveridge, and in 1991, Cameron Mattox was appointed the school director. Under Mattox, the school consolidated its purpose as a production company. It aimed to offer a bridge course between secondary and tertiary levels of theatre study and prepare students to apply for the leading drama schools in Auckland and Wellington. During this period, HTC established itself at the Open Stage Theatre at Hagley College, and in 2020, the building was decommissioned for the construction of a new flexible performing arts facility. HTC moved to a satellite location at Champion Street and returned to Hagley College be located at the newly constructed Auripo building at Hagley College, a brand-new performing arts space dedicated to teaching and learning at the heart of central Ōtautahi Christchurch. In 2024, Dr Pedro Ilgenfritz was appointed the new artistic director, and the school shifted to a new teaching format, curriculum, and direction, emphasizing acting training and theatre creation, and was renamed Hagley Theatre School.

Hagley Theatre School is a self-contained, independent training and theatre creation programme attached to Te Puna Wai o Waipapa – Hagley College. It is located at the newly constructed Auripo building, a brand-new performing arts facility at the heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch on the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Hagley Theatre School’s purpose is to provide a space for immersive, concentrated, embodied, investigative, creative and transformative theatre training. Our goal is to support and nurture the students’ pathway into the study of the foundations of the art of acting and the development of new works of theatre.

The school offers two courses: The One-Year Acting Training Course and The Six-Month Theatre Creation Course.

The One-Year Acting Training Course, a year-long journey into the world of the art of the actor, is open to all with a passion for performance, and no previous theatre experience is required. With 20 places available, the course runs from 8:45am to 2:30pm, Monday to Friday, from February to December.

The Six-Month Theatre Creation Course provides a unique opportunity dedicated exclusively to theatre making. Under the guidance of our experienced staff and guest tutors, students propose an area of investigation into the creation of a theatre performance. With a maximum of three projects per intake, the course is offered twice a year (February and August) and provides a truly empowering learning environment.

We have a reputation for providing excellent training and have achieved remarkable success with placing students into studies with…

• Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School
• UNITEC School of Performing Arts

Entry to our programme is by application, interview and audition.

As a post-secondary, pre-tertiary course of study all applicants must be aged 18+ with positions in our first year intake dependent on the number of students returning for a second year of study. Usually there are 18-22 positions available.