New Zealand's first repertory society: the Wellington Repertory Theatre Society (Inc.), 1926 - 1986

Abstract

Between 1926 and 1986 Wellington Repertory went through periods of growth and contraction which affected the public and private image of the Society. Originally the Society had been a small, socially exclusive group with a serious interest in amateur dramatics. The prime intention was to present plays for an audience comprised mainly of members. In the later thirties as membership increased the financial resources available to the Society for productions increased. Repertory productions became grand, multi-set affairs held in the Opera house. Initially there had been a reluctance to allow the Society to grow into a large-scale group because it was felt this would destroy the intimate social atmosphere of Repertory life and would mean that plays were presented to suit a general public rather than a subscribing audience. To some extent this did happen as the Society became the leading amateur theatre in Wellington. Not only did the Executive Committee actively promote an expansion of membership but also it was assumed that this would be a continuing trend and that the Society would consequently remain financially secure. To a degree the expansive phase of 1930s and 1940s was achieved by producing a succession of London's West End hits. Yet when the Society was at its peak in terms of wealth, membership and popularity and not under any financial threat it was, in fact, most able to venture into presenting several serious, non-box office plays per year. But the transitions of the fifties and sixties brought a contraction of Repertory in terms of size and finances. The only financial successes between 1959 and 1963 were the Society's own Revues. A depletion of members throughout these decades again changed the nature of the Society. Wellington Repertory had to take second place beside local professional theatre. It failed, initially, to adopt any firm artistic policy to counter this competition. Eventually the Society emerged from this period of intense competition a more truly amateur group than it had ever been between 1926 and 1946. More emphasis was put on workshop and studio activities. Large-scale productions became a thing of the past. Publicity was directed at the remaining members rather than the general public. Finally the move to a new theatre in 1970 introduced a period of proper adjustment to these changes. Today the Society manages to present a larger programme of plays than any of the small neighbourhood amateur groups. These Productions tend to be 'middle-of-the-road' rather than trend setting but to survive the Society must attract the general public and members to its major productions. In the 1980s the Society functions as a community theatre group offering an alternative to professional theatre. with the acquisition and development of its own theatre the Society is now the owner of a valuable community asset.