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Updated 7 September 2026
Isaac theatre Royal, Ōtautahi Christchurch

Festival of New Theatre

Three Bold New Works to Premiere in Ōtautahi This October

The Isaac Theatre Royal, in partnership with Rollicking Entertainment, is proud to announce the new programme for the Festival of New Theatre, taking place Friday 9 - Sunday 11 October 2026 at the Isaac Theatre Royal, 145 Gloucester Street, Ōtautahi Christchurch.

Three original plays by South Island playwrights will receive professionally supported staged readings across the festival weekend, alongside workshops, panel discussions, audience feedback forums and networking opportunities for artists and industry professionals.

About the Festival of New Theatre

The Festival of New Theatre is a celebration of bold new stories and the artists creating them. Presented by the Isaac Theatre Royal in partnership with Rollicking Entertainment, the festival brings original works by playwrights from across Ōtautahi and the wider South Island to life through professionally supported staged readings.

There is a particular magic in hearing a play before it fully exists - where the words are fresh, the ideas are daring. The Festival of New Theatre invites audiences to experience this. More than a showcase, the festival creates a platform for connection, learning and creative exchange — for playwrights, theatre-makers, and audiences alike.

The Festival of New Theatre forms part of the Isaac Theatre Royal's ongoing commitment to artist development and meaningful career pathways within Aotearoa New Zealand's creative sector.

 

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THE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL by Andrew Todd and Cathasaigh Ó Fiannachta

Winner of the 2025 McNaughton South Island Play Award, The Consummate Professional is a sharp new comedy about entertaining adults. In the long-awaited follow-up to his smash-hit Netflix special A Blake Outlook On Life, stand-up comedian Blake McCall tells the story of the night of that taping — and the life-changing appointment with a sex worker that followed. Written by Andrew Todd (Scared Scriptless, Class Act) and Cathasaigh Ó Fiannachta (Hang Time, Born To Dance).

 

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MY MUM STITCHES by Ana Mulipola

Grief tears life apart. Hope sews a new one by hand.

My Mum Stitches follows Teuila through the death of her mother, a Samoan seamstress, as grief ruptures old wounds and forces a reckoning with inner and outer worlds. Told through poetry and original song, the play moves between Samoa and Aotearoa, past and present — as Teuila converses with her therapist and the spirits of her inner child and late grandmother. A deeply moving meditation on silence, love across generations, and the space that opens when we finally begin to heal.

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MRS PARKER by Ella West

In 1956 New Zealand, a married woman is expected to leave paid employment behind and dedicate herself to home and family. But Jean Parker can't afford to.

With her husband still studying medicine and her public service salary keeping the household afloat, Jean unexpectedly finds herself at the centre of a national fight for equal pay. Navigating political pressure, public scrutiny and the risk of losing everything, she discovers the courage to take her place in New Zealand history.

Inspired by true events, Mrs Parker is a compelling story of determination, justice and the women who helped change a nation.

 

About the Isaac Theatre Royal

One of Christchurch's most iconic and beloved cultural venues, the Isaac Theatre Royal has been at the heart of Canterbury's performing arts community since 1908. Meticulously restored following the Canterbury earthquakes and reopened in 2014, the theatre is a cornerstone of the Christchurch Performing Arts Precinct. Through initiatives including the Festival of New Theatre, the Isaac Theatre Royal continues to invest in homegrown talent and support artists at every stage of their professional journey.

About Rollicking Entertainment

Founded in Ōtautahi Christchurch in 2014, Rollicking Entertainment uses variety arts — circus, physical theatre, illusion and street performance — to expand the definition of theatre and connect with non-traditional audiences. Specialising in stories about oddballs, outsiders and underdogs, Rollicking has created original productions for stages, streets and festivals across Aotearoa and internationally

 

Please see the Full Programme Schedule below:
Full programme schedule HERE 

"We're excited to be bringing the festival back after our first go in 2024. We want to bring audiences together with playwrights from Ōtautahi and across the South Island, right at the early stages of a play's development — so there's a conversation that helps get the work to its next stage."

Andy Brigden, Head of Programming, Isaac Theatre Royal

Festival Programme:

Alongside the three staged readings, the 2026 Festival of New Theatre will include:

    • Audience feedback forums following each reading
    • A series of workshops including a Young Writers' Workshop for emerging rangatahi writers
    • Panel discussions and networking for artists, audiences and industry professionals