Christ’s College puts an array of productions and drama-related opportunities in the spotlight, offering boys the chance to perform, dance, direct, design and learn.
From actors and improvisers to directors and dancers, and from lighting, sound and set designers to production crew and managers, a wealth of stage experiences are open to College boys.
The varied performance and production options include the ever-popular House Plays, Theatresports, dance, the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival and our annual musical or dramatic productions for both seniors and juniors.
With a host of awards at performing arts festivals, College also works closely with the Music School, St Margaret’s College and Rangi Ruru Girls’ School to create vibrant performance partnerships.
Our outstanding drama facilities include a modern 212-seat theatre and a 1200-seat auditorium for our large-scale productions.
With our classroom drama, clubs, competitions and performances, we teach individual performance skills and stagecraft while fostering aesthetic and kinesthetic growth.
Speech and Drama
College boys can also achieve success in speech and drama examinations, with private or small group lessons – provided by two experienced teachers – scheduled each week in a rotating timetable that accommodates other College commitments.
College productions
At College, we nurture creative talent, imaginative flair and a love for the theatre.
Our most recent performance highlights include:
Peter Pan (senior production)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr (junior production with Rangi Ruru Girls' School)
Light at the End of the Tunnel (senior with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School)
Fame (junior production with Rangi Ruru Girls' School)
Rainbow's Ending (junior production with St Margaret's College)
As You Like It (junior production with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School)
Oedipus Rex (senior production with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School)
Shakespearean Banquet (senior collaboration with St Margaret’s College)
West Side Story and Much Ado About Nothing (with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School)
Lord of the Flies and The Arsonists (senior productions)
The Frogs and High School Musical 2 (junior productions with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School)
Evita (senior production with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School
Hey Man! (Year 10 collaboration with The Court Education)
Drama Department
Hannah Clarkson
Director of Drama
Hannah Clarkson
Director of Drama
Hannah took on the leadership of Drama in 2021 after 15 years in charge of Dance and as a Drama teacher and Dean at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School. With a Bachelor of Education with specialisation in Performing Arts, Hannah is an experienced choreographer who grew up dancing, and later branched out into musical theatre and acting. She has worked on many joint Christ's College/Rangi Ruru Girls' School productions, with the most recent being 2020’s blockbuster, Evita, 2021’s Fame and 2022’s spectacular Light at the End of the Tunnel.
In 2023, Hannah featured both drama and musical theatre through alternating productions for both junior and senior students. This included the senior production of Peter Pan in May, followed by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Jr. in November. There are many other opportunities for boys with the Shakespeare Festival, NZ Dance Made national competition, Theatre Festival, House Plays, Theatresports, and the Dance Company as a winter sport.
Nikki Bleyendaal
Assistant Director of Drama/Theatresports
Nikki Bleyendaal
Assistant Director of Drama/Theatresports
Nikki has relished being part of the Drama Department in a variety of roles over the past 10 years, and now brings her skills and experiences to her latest role as the Assistant Director of Drama. Whether she is teaching in the classroom, coaching Theatresports, supervising the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival or directing the junior or senior productions, Nikki always revels in the joys and challenges provided by the dynamic and collaborative world of the performing arts.
In 2022, she directed the junior play, Rainbow’s Ending, and in 2023, co-directed Peter Pan for the senior production. She also works as a director at Original Scripts Theatre School and has both directed and performed with the Top Dog Theatre Company for more than a decade. She was last seen on the Isaac Theatre Royal stage as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Nikki’s other roles at Christ’s College include coaching as a Head of Teaching & Learning, and a mentor in Somes House.
Shannon Small
Drama teacher
Shannon Small
Drama teacher
Shannon Small first became involved in Theatresports as an Ashburton College student, travelling to Christchurch for competitions. He was awarded a blue – the equivalent of a College Colour – for his contribution to Theatresports at secondary school. Shannon then completed a Theatre Studies degree at the University of Otago, including papers on improvisation. Next, he gained entry to the prestigious Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School to study for a degree in acting. Following his graduation, workshopping and devising plays became part of his professional life. A career change into teaching took Shannon in a different direction. In 2023, he returned to the sport by coaching the Christ’s College Theatresports teams, with the junior team winning that year.