We had the absolute pleasure of talking to Ben Tucker-Emerson, Production Designer and Creative Producer on Amélie the Musical.

The Australasian premiere of this musical was all about purposeful and intricate design across set, costume, lighting and props, seemingly endless collaborations between production departments, the thrill of making magic, and the energy of WITCH Music Theatre – whose producers went all the way to Broadway to sell their enthusiasm for this show to the rights holders themselves.

Call the family photographers, we’ve started putting pictures up in the Hannah Hall of Fame! The Hannah has been home to countless artists, technicians, designers, directors, and dreamers whose work has shaped the course of Aotearoa theatre. Some made their debut on our stage; others returned here time and again, each leaving an imprint on the building’s spirit and history. The Hall of Fame is our way of honouring them, with short profiles which hero their involvement and connection to The Hannah.

Somewhere between a fever dream, a house party, and a maths lesson gone wrong lives Buck Scourge: Living Nightmare — a techno clown show that could only have been born in Wellington. The show pairs performer and clown conjurer Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin with sonic shapeshifter Billsy (Will), two comedic pals who also happen to be high school teachers vying for their students’ appreciation.

For more than a decade, Trick of the Light has been creating magical, handcrafted theatre and taking it to the world. Led by Wellington-based duo Hannah and Ralph, their work blends intimate storytelling with inventive stagecraft, earning accolades including Director of the Year, Outstanding New Playwright, and multiple Wellington Theatre Awards.

Their latest presentation, The Griegol, is a haunting, wordless tale about love, loss, and the smoke-creature of a child’s imagination — brought to life through silhouettes, puppetry, and live sound. As with all Trick of the Light’s work, the beauty lies not just in the story, but in seeing the magic being made before your eyes.

As The Hannah’s General Manager Eleanor Strathern marks the milestone of a year in the job, we reflect on the year that’s been, the progress that’s been made, and everything still to come. One thing’s for sure:  The Hannah isn’t just open; it’s alive, generous, and essential. A place where art is made, remade, and made possible.

When Untitled Warehouse Project take over The Hannah with their new work OMNIA, it won’t look or sound like your average night at the theatre. The Wellington-based collective are flipping expectations — drawing rave culture into the architecture of our brutalist theatre, and in the process challenging how we value creativity in a world that prizes business models over artistic risk. As we understand it, this is the first rave ever to happen at The Hannah!

Laughter is a lifeblood of Wellington’s arts scene, and in August, The Hannah hosted the Raw Comedy Quest Wellington Final, a night where the next generation of comics step into the spotlight. The nationwide competition has launched countless careers, and in Wellington it has been nurtured for 15 years by producer Jerome Chandrahasen, who knows just how transformative stand-up can be.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Sameena Zehra and Helen Vivienne Fletcher, the creative duo behind The Magnificent Weirdos, to learn more about their bold and brilliant approach to access-led theatre-making.

To celebrate launching a new look, we threw ourselves a gala! A three-tier stage plus an immersive experience and music in the Halfway Up Bar and The Tasting Room showcased performances from more than 20 independent artists across the evening and exciting ways to use our iconic whare. Photography by Maeve O’Connell

It’s been all excitement and blue paint at Hannah Playhouse as we have worked behind the scenes to re-emerge with a new look. The Hannah: Theatre & Performance Lab, is a creative engine room dedicated to performance, experimentation, and professional development for Aotearoa’s boldest and most independent theatremakers.

EBKM is a force in contemporary performance. Their work is cinematic, literary, visceral, and deeply invested in the possibilities of live performance as both a storytelling and social influencer.

The Hannah is proud to be hosting EBKM as residents in 2025, giving them access to the space as a theatre and performance lab; allowing them to work on new and existing projects and affording them the time and space to develop their practice.

Murray Lynch’s life has been shaped by stories on the stage, behind the scenes, in rehearsal rooms, and by those who’ve worked alongside him. As a director, educator, mentor and now Chair of the Hannah Playhouse Trust, Murray's career spans five decades and countless productions, venues, and artists. And through it all Hannah Playhouse has been a main character.