Flat City Field Notes<\/a> editor.\u00a0<\/p>\nAnother opening night patron, who has been attending Court Theatre productions since the early 1990s, noticed immediately that the \u201cclaustrophobic\u201d seats were \u201cjammed in very close together\u201d while observing elderly audience members struggling down the steep steps to get to their seats. \u201cGiven that a large percentage of the audience is older people, it was surprising that access to seats possibly wasn\u2019t taken into account when the theatre was designed,\u201d they said. \u201cNot even the ushers were prepared for how many people needed assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\")
The End of the Golden Weather opened the new Court Theatre. Image: Facebook<\/p>\n
Since that cosy opening night, Harrington has seen almost every Court Theatre production in her capacity as a theatre reviewer, and has encountered a litany of \u201cwild\u201d problems with the seats. \u201cI have been uncomfortable because of proximity to other people and the fact that you might have somebody\u2019s elbow up in your nose for the better part of two hours,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve had problems getting in and out of my seat, including navigating some of those stairwells, and that\u2019s been as both an able-bodied person and an injured person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another common complaint from audiences and practitioners alike is how the seating impacts sightlines in both spaces. One patron didn\u2019t even realise there was an umbrella onstage for the entirety of Twelfth Night in the Stewart Family Theatre, because they couldn\u2019t see the full set. Actors unintentionally disappeared during Black Faggot for those in the upper level. One mum said the bench style seating for Kitchen Chaos left her kids unable to see past the people in front of them. \u201cThey were craning their necks the whole time, which was a real shame.\u201d<\/p>\n
In other cases, the sightlines have revealed key elements too soon, such as the pivotal wooden puppet in Wolf Play. \u201cIt\u2019s a really beautiful theatrical conceit, and there\u2019s supposed to be a reveal moment when you meet him,\u201d recounted Harrington. \u201cBut I had already seen it, and I know that anyone who would have been sitting near me had already seen it too.\u201d Other patrons reported seeing crew backstage, and actors waiting in the wings. As one longtime Court attendee put it: \u201cit\u2019s like you\u2019re seeing how the sausage is made, when all you really want is the sausage.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The wooden puppet in Wolf Play arrived too early for some, and disappeared for others. Image: Facebook<\/p>\n
The Spinoff also spoke to several theatremakers who have been equally impacted by the bad sightlines. \u201cThere would be times where we were standing in the tiny wings backstage and, even with masking put in, the audience could see us,\u201d said one actor. \u201cPsychologically, you\u2019re always on guard because you\u2019re never truly offstage,\u201d added another. \u201cBackstage, you\u2019re often fussing about with props or costumes, and you really want to be able to do that out of sight. Not just for your own privacy, but because you don\u2019t want to spoil the illusion for the audience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is that disruption of illusion which many mentioned as the most disappointing factor of the new Court space, with one theatremaker describing it as \u201cunfair to the people performing, and unfair to the audience\u201d. Harrington agreed. \u201cThe fundamental reason for the theatre is the interface between the audience and the performer, this moment that should be total immersive alchemy,\u201d she said. \u201cAt the end of the day, it\u2019s only about the audience and the performer, and everything else should be about supporting that. But at some point, something\u2019s been lost in translation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A spokesperson from the Court Theatre told The Spinoff that while they have received a broad range of positive feedback around \u201cthe intimacy of the spaces, the acoustics, and the connection between audiences and performers,\u201d they are also aware of \u201ccomments relating to seating comfort, navigation, and sightlines\u201d in both theatres. \u201cWe take all audience feedback seriously and see this period as a normal post-opening evaluation phase for new venues,\u201d they said. \u201cReal-world use inevitably reveals nuances that cannot always be fully anticipated.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Stewart Family Theatre nearing completion. Image: Facebook<\/p>\n
The Court also acknowledged that \u201cthere are areas where refinements may be possible.\u201d In response to the feedback, they are now reviewing seat classifications, improving booking advice and signage, and working with creative teams to ensure staging choices maximise sightlines and minimise unintended backstage visibility. \u201cWe are actively exploring practical adjustments where feasible, within the constraints of a fully operational venue, and will continue to prioritise accessibility, audience comfort, and transparency in how we communicate about the spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are immensely proud to have helped create new spaces for the arts in \u014ctautahi Christchurch and see these conversations as part of being responsible custodians of them,\u201d they added. \u201cOur focus remains on listening to our audiences, responding thoughtfully, and ensuring the best possible experience for all who come to the theatre.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the meantime, Court attendees and practitioners continue to negotiate their feelings of frustration with the new $61 million space. \u201cIt\u2019s great that the theatre is back in the city, but it just feels like a purpose-built building that is not fit for purpose,\u201d said one theatremaker. Other performers feel awkward corralling friends and family to come to their shows. \u201cI just want it to be better. It\u2019s humiliating to invite people and know that they might not be comfortable, especially if it\u2019s an elderly person, or someone with mobility issues, or someone who is tall or larger.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a sentiment echoed by Harrington. \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to recommend shows, even ones that have felt really good in the space, if you can\u2019t see everything,\u201d she said, adding that the price of tickets, as well as transport, parking, dinner and a babysitter can be \u201cquite the investment\u201d in the current economic climate. \u201cContrary to popular belief, reviewers don\u2019t want to go see something and then go, \u2018oh, that sucked\u2019 and luxuriate in telling people that it sucked. You want to go see something, be really moved, and to be a cheerleader for it,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all want to believe in it, but they are making it really hard.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Court Theatre audience members as well as people working on shows say in some seats you can\u2019t see…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253279,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[442,4487,17578,146740,156,111,139,69,2935,7069],"class_list":["post-253278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-arts","tag-christchurch","tag-christchurch-city-council","tag-court-theatre","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-society","tag-theatre"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253278"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253278\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}