Malthouse Drama Classes
Welcome to Term Three!Hello Hello Malthouse Drama School Community, We were going to try it last year, and it didn’t quite fall in to place in time, but this year we’re mostly organised and we’re totally doing it. We’re switching our micro-production into term three rather than how the last couple of years it has been in term 4. There’s a couple of reasons for this but mostly it’s because the end of the year can be pretty chaotic and overloaded with school, family, and extra-curricular activities. It feels like a sensible choice to put the group project into group three, while term four will have a more individual and duo focus. We’ll see how it goes! Every year I write a ‘modular’ piece of theatre that can expand or contract depending on the size of the class, and also that will stand becoming either more or less complex depending on the age range of the students. It’s a bit of a head scratcher sometimes, especially because I always want to underpin the whole thing with a strong theatrical technique for the students to work with as well as telling a story. This year I’m interested in time manipulation, so the production will include a lot of fast forwarding, rewinding, time stops, and super slow motion. I’m also kind of excited about the tooth fairy as a character and as a concept. So, that’s what I’m working on. It should be ready by the end of the week… but if not… it’ll definitely be ready by the start of term. The micro-production is a great chance for students to experience putting on not just a ‘here’s what we’ve been working on’ showcase, but a whole little show with costumes, lights and sound. I’m really thrilled that the resources to do this are available within the malthouse program. It’s a bit special. Right now I think it’s called Teef! and I can’t wait to see the different classes do all their different takes on it. Cheers, Dan Bain Head of School
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What are THE Malthouse Drama Class options?
Currently, we are taking bookings for Term Three for 2026.
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
Intro to Drama is taught by Josiah on Mondays and Nelly on Wednesday and Thursday
Runs 8 weeks. Three options available: Mon, Wed or Thurs at 4pm | Starts July 2026 | Cost $135
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S PLACE NOW
JUNIOR DRAMA ONE – For children aged 7 to 9
Junior Drama is taught by Josiah on Mondays and Nelly on Wednesday and Thursday
Runs 8 weeks. Three options available, Mon, Wed or Thurs 5pm | Starts July 2026 | Cost $160
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S PLACE NOW
INTERMEDIATE DRAMA ONE – For children aged 10 – 12
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 Josiah on Mondays and Nelly on Wednesday and Thursday
Runs 8 weeks: Two options available: Mon, Wed or Thurs 6pm | Starts July 2026 | Cost $160
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S PLACE NOW
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:
- Communication – Stage performance requires multiple techniques in order to be clear, audible, and enjoyable to the audience. All of these skills translate into real-world applications – whether that’s presenting at a conference, having a job interview, or leading a team. The technical skills of the stage are invaluable in any context that involves communication – so… all of them!
- Empathy – Acting is understanding and becoming a person who is not you. This process moves your child away from self-absorption and towards a greater understanding of the inner life of others. Drama literally allows you to walk in another’s shoes.
- Collaboration – Theatre is the great collaborative art form. It requires all participants to work together as a team to produce the final product. Drama builds teamwork skills as a byproduct of the form.
- Problem-solving – Drama is challenging and engages the mind to think creatively, use abstract problem-solving, and to explore outside the box. Any stage production needs constant creative solutions. Because drama is a practical skill these solutions cannot be theoretical – they must work in reality.
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.
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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Grace is an emerging creative here in Ōtautahi. She began acting at Original Scripts Theatre School, taking part in drama classes and performing in numerous collaborations with Two Productions as a taitamaiti. She has since worked with a range of theatre companies including the Court Theatre Youth Company, Top Dog Theatre, MUSOC, and Hwyl Theatre. From 2015-2018, Grace could be found performing at the Malthouse with Canterbury Children’s Theatre. Grace is also passionate about creating fun, educational spaces for tamariki; she helped kids with English at NumberWorks ‘n’ Words from 2023-2024, and can occasionally be found working behind-the-scenes at What Now!. She’s super excited to share her love of drama with students, and can’t wait to see what fun, creative adventures await! |
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Also, our Head of School is Dan Bain.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 and each year writes a bespoke play exclusively for Malthouse Drama School’s mini-production. In 2024 this was Fetch Quest, in ’25 Ape Escape, and he won’t tell us what ’26 has in store. |
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Bookings and Enquiries
