Malthouse Drama Classes
term four is just around the corner!Term 4 at the Malthouse Drama School will feature a new original mini-production. Students will go through the entire process of putting on a small scale production, from rehearsal through to costuming their characters and adding technical elements. Students across all levels will create their own version of APE ESCAPE a brand new modular, play by multi-award winning playwright Dan Bain. Students will play multiple roles in this fast-paced piece of serious monkey business, written and designed to expand to meet wherever your learner currently is on their drama journey. Let them experience the collaborative group work that is required to bring acting, lighting, sound, and costume all together to create a piece of theatre this term at Malthouse Drama School.
limited spaces remain. Sign up now
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Why are DRAMA CLASSES FOR EVERYONE?The Malthouse is a multi-purpose arts space, housing Canterbury Children’s Theatre, Malthouse Costume Hire, and drama classes at The MALTHOUSE DRAMA SCHOOL. Drama classes are fun. That’s a given, right? And we all have an idea of the kind of student who loves them. Big! Extroverted! Performer! Personality for days! But drama classes aren’t just for these types of students. And they aren’t just for people who want to pursue performance as a career. We say drama classes are for everyone… Because they build critical interpersonal skills that will stay with and help your child for the rest of their life. Skills like:
The Malthouse is the home of Canterbury Children’s Theatre, a full, producing-house theatre company, who build their own props, make their own costumes, and create sound and lighting designs for their school holiday productions. As a student of the Malthouse Drama School, your child won’t just be working on their acting and performance skills – developing all of those bonus life skills – but also being given opportunities throughout the year to experience the full range of disciplines that are required to bring a live stage show to life. |
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What are THE Malthouse Drama Class options?
Currently, we are taking bookings for Term three and four of 2025. As we evolve into our second year of the Malthouse Drama reboot, we are adjusting class times and days to best meet the needs of our community. Double-check that your class time hasn’t changed!
All classes run for an hour except for Introduction to Drama which is 50 minutes long.
They are:
INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA ONE – For children aged 5 and 6
Students will develop their abilities to clearly show characters to an audience – from how they speak and move, to what they think and feel – through a focus on presenting characters from within a storybook.
They will also work on performance techniques such as pitch, pace, emphasis and volume, by practising reading out pages of these storybooks as a class. At the end of the term, students will present their characters and showcase their performance skills by bringing their storybook to life.
Intro to Drama is taught by Nelly or Josiah
Runs 8 weeks. Three options available: Mon, Wed or Thurs at 4pm | Starts September 2025 | Cost $135
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S PLACE NOW
JUNIOR DRAMA ONE – For children aged 7 to 9
We will start the term by focusing on a duologue as a class. Students will partner up and explore different ways of presenting this duologue, with the aim of learning how to make original choices when using a script.
Each week we will explore a new method of bringing this script to life – from thinking about the emotions of the characters, to building levels within the scene, to exploring vocal techniques such as pitch, pace and projection, and adding purposeful movement into the scene. Students will then apply these skills to a new script, and perform this at the end of the term.
Junior Drama is taught by Nelly or Josiah
Runs 8 weeks. Three options available, Mon, Wed or Thurs 5pm | Starts September 2025 | Cost $160
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S PLACE NOW
INTERMEDIATE DRAMA ONE – For children aged 10 – 12
Students will select either a monologue or duologue from a range of options. This chosen script will become their focus for the term.
Each week we will explore different methods of bringing this script to life, including strategies such as internal monologue, moving with purpose, determining objectives and using vocal techniques such as pitch, pace and pausing.
Students will have a fully realised monologue or duologue to present at the end of the term
Students in the 10-12 class are asked to please bring a notebook or exercise book and something to write with to each class this term.
Intermediate Drama is taught by Nelly or Josiah
Runs 8 weeks: Two options available: Wed or Thurs 6pm | Starts September 2025 | Cost $160
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S PLACE NOW
Who are the Drama TUTORs at Malthouse Drama School?
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Josiah is a writer and performer based in Ōtautahi Christchurch. He is an experienced storyteller and deviser, having written five books and having acted since he was five years old. As a performer, he has worked across Aotearoa and in Australia with groups including Court Theatre Youth Company, THETA, Movement Art Practice, Tiny Fest, The X Collective, Hwyl Theatre, and more. Recently, you may have seen him in the Day One short film Wilbert Wire.
Offstage, he works in schools and alternative educational environments around Aotearoa teaching both drama and writing to people ages 5 to 65. Between 2014 and 2017, Josiah could regularly be seen onstage at The Malthouse with Canterbury Children’s Theatre. He is looking forward to exploring and playing with stories together!
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Nelly is a passionate theatre-maker with a keen interest in supporting children to discover joy and confidence through drama. After years of attending drama classes in and outside of school, she trained with and performed as a member of the Court Theatre Youth Company and the Jester’s Youth Company. She is currently a member of the Court Theatre’s professional improv troupe, the Court Jesters where she performs regularly in the late night comedy improv show, Scared Scriptless, as well as in gigs providing comedic corporate entertainment. She spends much of her spare time devising an absurdist, comedic clown act as one half of the performance duo, Fight and Flight. Nelly is delighted to be teaching at Malthouse and can’t wait to help students fall in love with drama. |
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Lucia is a passionate student and experienced kaihaka based in Ōtautahi Christchurch. She has spent five years in senior kapa haka group Ngā Toi o te Rangi, and adores Māori performing arts and Te Reo Māori. She also comes from a strong background in youth health and climate justice advocacy, having recently been deputy co-chair for youth health advisory group Māngai Whakatipu. Currently, Lucia is also working as a youth tutor for the Collaborative Trust, where she co-facilitates and runs workshops and talks on all varieties of youth-health related issues. Bringing together her love of working with young people, and her passion for the performing arts, she is excited to be working as a teaching assistant at Malthouse this term! |
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Also, Dan Bain is the Head of School.All content and lessons for your child’s classes are co-created, overseen, and approved by veteran theatre industry professional Dan Bain (The Court Theatre, Scared Scriptless, Little Andromeda, Perfuct Storm, CCC Summertimes Outdoor Theatre, Improv Seduction, University of Canterbury Teaching Fellow, etc, etc) who makes sure that the course content isn’t just fun but also is relevant, important, and useful for both those with aspirations to join the industry and those who are just looking for a creative hobby. He can sometimes (very rarely) be convinced into teaching a class as well. |
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Bookings and Enquiries
