The Court Theatre to Reopen Season with GROUNDSWELL: STORIES FROM THE QUAKE, March 9-23

On 22 February 2011 The Court Theatre, like so many companies and organisations located in The Red Zone, saw its foundations crumble; literally and figuratively. Ten days later after the loss of The Court's historic theatre venue, brochures arrived for The Forge season that would never be.

Down but not out, The Court Theatre rallied its troupes and with the help of countless sponsors and supporters, established new premises in Addington in record time.

Since the grand reopening in December 2011, The Court has had unprecedented success with its main stage seasons and is now set to celebrate another milestone with the re-launch of The Forge.

GROUNDSWELL: STORIES FROM THE QUAKE, which will take place in The Court's Pub Charity Studio, is a collection of extraordinary stories collected from ordinary people about their experiences following February's quake.

Director Melanie Camps says "GROUNDSWELL is a theatrical representation, but it's not sensationalised. The script has been written with integrity and realism and is representational of the bravery, dignity and humour embraced by thousands of Cantabrians in the face of intense adversity. These are important stories and they reaffirm that we are all in this together."

GROUNDSWELL: STORIES FROM THE QUAKE runs from 9 - 23 March and is followed by two more new New Zealand works, Hui (which will feature in the Christchurch Arts Festival) and Postal. For more information visit www.courttheatre.org.nz.

Established in 1979, The Court Theatre is one of New Zealand's premier theatre companies. The Court is a significant contributor to both the local economy and national arts sector, employing up to 80 equivalent full-time staff, actors and theatre practitioners.