Starting Downstage
The history of Hannah Playhouse goes back to May 1964 when Peter Bland, Martyn Sanderson and Tim Elliot took a bold idea and formed the Downstage Theatre Company; Wellington’s first full time professional theatre company.
Downstage captivated audiences over two seasons before finding a home in a leased corner of the Walkabout Coffee Bar, on the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Courtenay Place. There, the unique blend of live performance and casual dining quickly became a crowd favourite.
With support from visionary café owner Harry Seresin, the company transformed the entire top floor of the building into a thriving theatre restaurant. Downstage Theatre Company ran for a time in that original building, until it outgrew the space, and the site was taken over by the Hannah Playhouse Trust – formed in 1968 to build a theatre on this same corner. Downstage shifted to the Star Boating Club (located next door to the St Johns Ambulance station on the waterfront) and continued the innovation of theatre dining which became synonymous with a night out at Downstage.
This space came with its own unique challenges, including having to share the space with local water rats that would often be seen scurrying across the beams above the audience or stage. The company consequently began the tradition of having a resident cat. When the company moved into the Hannah Playhouse full-time, the then cat, called Evil, also took up residence.
Building the Brutalist icon
When The Hannah Playhouse Trust was formed in 1968, their vision was to build a theatre on the corner of Courtenay Place and Cambridge Terrace. With a very generous gift from Sheilah Winn of $300,000 and a further $100,000 in public fundraising, construction started in 1971. The Hannah Playhouse was named after Sheilah’s family – the Hannahs – founders of the Hannah's Shoe Company.
Raymond Boyce MBE, an Arts Foundation Icon and New Zealand’s national treasure theatre designer, was on the Board of Downstage and introduced Sheilah Winn to the company and the idea of building a new theatre for them. He acted as the theatre consultant to the architects; initially Ron Parker and subsequently James Beard from James Beard and Co, who brought his signature style to the building.
The Hannah’s striking architectural composition encapsulates the postwar New Brutalism movement of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, which was characterised by strong geometric forms and reverence for materials such as concrete and steel.
The new playhouse was built on the idea of transformation – a space that could be reconfigured for every production – encapsulating the operational model of Downstage which had become known for setting the stage in almost any configuration, with diners gathered around.
The design has won a number of awards including The New Zealand Institution of Architects Award in 1978, and the Award for Enduring Architecture in 2006. The design has been commended for ‘'its outward expression of the function within,'’ and its position and slanted roofline have contributed to it becoming a landmark building in the city.
The Hannah’s first opening night
The Hannah Playhouse opened on October 16th 1973, with Downstage’s performance of As You Like It. The evening was a resounding success, with only one hiccup in the preparation: the leading lady, Janice Finn, was hit by a motorcycle as she left the premises after dress rehearsal. As she broke her wrist, teeth and her hips were injured, the understudy had to step in.
The Post reported that she gave a fine performance. If you’re interested in reading more about that performance, click here.
Shakespeare devotee and Hannah philanthropist Sheila Winn was thrilled on opening night.
The Hannah opened as a theatre restaurant, at a time when Courtenay Place offered little in the way of restaurant fare. However this changed immensely over the coming decade and by the mid-1980s the theatre stopped serving meals with a show.
The story develops
Downstage Theatre Company was based in the Hannah Playhouse until 2013 when the company folded. The building was then taken on by Capital E National Theatre for Children which had been forced out of their venue earlier that year by a major earthquake. They also ran the Playhouse as a place for hire until early 2020.
The Hannah Playhouse has hosted hundreds of New Zealand works, with some of New Zealand’s most prolific theatre practitioners, and countless audience members coming through our doors.
It has been home to numerous world premieres by playwrights such as Greg McGee, Vincent O’Sullivan, Renée, and Roger Hall, and seen almost all the leading actors of New Zealand stage and screen tread the boards: Cliff Curtis, Rima Te Wiata, Nancy Brunning, Flight of the Conchords, Jim Moriarty, and Dame Kate Harcourt to name a few.
Special thanks to John Smythe whose book Downstage Upfront: The First 40 Years of New Zealand's Longest-Running Professional Theatre collated these photos so beautifully.
Celebrating 50 years
In October 2022, the Wellington City Council’s Creative Capital unit took over managing the building in collaboration with The Hannah Playhouse Trust, with a refreshed vision to utilise the theatre as a performance laboratory. A space for mid to senior practitioners to develop their professional performing arts practice and new works.
When the theatre reached its 50th birthday in 2023, an evening of celebration in front of an exclusive audience of past and present artists was hosted by acclaimed actor Robyn Malcom. The evening was held on October 16th, the 50th anniversary of the first opening night at the Hannah Playhouse. All three floors of the theatre, and many of its rhombus-shaped nooks and crannies were filled with kori tapere (theatre and dance), pukuhohe (comedy) and whakaari puoro (music), to embody the diversity of the theatre’s practice and its vision for the future.
The building was also recognised as a Category 1 historic building on the New Zealand Heritage List Rārangi Kōrero, an incredible acknowledgement of the building’s contribution to Wellington’s cultural and architectural landscape.
A new era, new look
The Hannah 2025 and beyond
Now walking the talk of a refreshed kaupapa, The Hannah steps confidently into a new era and a new look. Brand-new logo, signage, and website have been shaped in collaboration between operational partner Wellington City Council – specifically their City Events Team – and a handpicked team of creative freelancers.
Previous and current General Managers Isobel MacKinnon and Eleanor Strathern’s deep understanding of the industry, the venue’s legacy and its potential helped steer the creative direction.
Together, the group brought together expertise in design, storytelling, and strategy to honour The Hannah’s rich history while confidently reimagining its future.
The result is a bold, contemporary identity that reflects both the venue’s cultural significance and its renewed purpose as a hub for live performance, artistic ambition, and community connection.
Logo design by Lily Paris West.
