Cost no barrier at Waipukurau Little Theatre

Waipukurau Little Theatre is making its Sunday matinee affordable for everyone.

Waipukurau Little Theatre's latest show is a double bill of The Peace of Angels/An Unseasonable Fall Of Snow and at the matinee performance on Sunday, July 26, the theatre will be asking its audience to "pay what you can afford" for tickets.

"There are a couple of great reasons we're doing this," committee member Jules Hamilton says.

"We believe theatre and the arts should be accessible and we are working towards that goal throughout the year - community groups like ours provide a vital link in the arts ecosystem and for a lot of people, are their first introduction into theatre," Jules says.

"While $20-$30 might not seem like much to spend on a quality show that has taken months of hard work by community volunteers to produce, we do know that it is a lot to some people. We don't want cost to be a barrier to people seeing great theatre."

Little Theatre has already started on a strategy of accessible theatre by introducing youth and mentoring them through different production and on-stage roles. "We are so proud of our Committee Youth Representative Keisha Scott-Bennie who is taking on the role of stage manager for this latest production and of George Te Amo, who is assistant stage manager. While both teens have been involved in productions in the past this is the first time that they are stepping into these important roles.

"Waipukurau Little Theatre has a rich history within our Central Hawke's Bay community dating back to the 1920s. We believe that theatre and the arts should be accessible for all. When people begin to engage with theatre, they can really start to perceive their world through different lenses and develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their neighbours.

"We want all members of our community to be able to engage and benefit from the arts regardless of income, experience or opportunity. We want Our Pay What You Can Afford matinee to show our community that everyone is welcome at Waipukurau Little Theatre.

"We want people to have an experience, get to know the characters, immerse themselves in another world for a couple of hours, and maybe become a theatre convert. A lot of our plays are New Zealand or Australia based and they contain recognisable and relevant characters. You'll see your neighbour, your work colleague, your whānau … and maybe even yourself represented on stage."

The matinee performance on Sunday, July 26 has four ticket prices: $5, $10, $20 and $40. All you need to do is choose your ticket price and pay that price on the door. There are 60 seats available, it is a first come, first served basis and the doors open at 2pm.