KEY POINTS:
In the two years since it was set up, the Rebel Alliance Theatre Company has gained a reputation for innovation in its productions and marketing.
Now the company is back with an encore season of its first show, The Orderly - leaving the audience to decide how much to pay for a ticket.
"We always want to find ways to make theatre accessible to as wide a group of people as possible so we decided an entire pay-what-you-like season fitted well with that philosophy," says director Anders Falstie-Jensen.
"It is a bold experiment never before tried in New Zealand and it will be interesting to see what happens."
The seven-night season also coincides with National Hospice Awareness Week. The Rebel Alliance will donate half its takings to the North Shore Hospice and Mercy Hospice Auckland. "This story is based on real life and, when you take from real life, it's nice to give back," says Falstie-Jensen.
He admits to having worked out various budgets, starting with zero ticket take and going optimistically upwards, but says The Orderly is not as expensive to stage as a new show. "We don't have to pay for lighting or a set design because we already have those in place and they are two of the biggest expenses. Because it's a solo show, it's easier to stage again and again."
What: The Orderly
Where and when: Herald Theatre, May 12-18; see www.therebelalliance.co.nz
