This February at The PumpHouse Theatre, we’re celebrating 30 years of Shakespeare in the Park in our enchanting outdoor amphitheatre, which has been reviewed to be “one of Auckland’s most atmospheric performance spaces”, allowing performances in the open-air setting to feel “expansive and alive”. (Blackguard Media Reviews). Shakespeare in the Park audiences often give feedback to us that they’ve been left feeling like they’ve been part of something properly special.

Two of the Bard’s best plays feature this year. 'Much Ado About Nothing', directed by Michelle Atkinson is set in a punk community and centred around a music venue; this version is loud, witty, and fizzing with live original music. Then we flip the vibe with 'Romeo and Juliet", directed by Steph Curtis. This is a traditional staging that is equal parts romantic and devastating, putting a focus on young people surrounded by adults and systems that fail them.

Late February keeps the emotional stakes high with 'The Last Five Years' – an award-winning musical by Jason Robert Brown. This incredible piece is a rollercoaster of romance, ambition, and what happens when two people fall in and out of sync. Catch it from 20–27 February.

The Creative Talks 2026 programme has just dropped; be sure to add the dates to your calendar:

Frank Graveson: Antarctic Explorer (9 March)
Debbie Dunsford: A History of Milford (20 April)
Catherine George: Demystifying Arts Funding (18 May)
Michael Hurst, ONZM: The Life of an Actor (7 September)
Darrell Daglish: So How Do You Play That? (28 September)
Richard Hills: Why the Arts Are Important (19 October)

Creative Talks are free! RSVP is required on our website.

Kia hari tonu! See you at the theatre soon.