Malthouse Drama Classes
term three is just around the corner!Term 3 at the Malthouse Drama School is all about the process of taking words on a page and creating a fully realised scene. Students will learn how to develop the background of a character using clues from the text, how to add movement to advance a scene, and how to use their voices and bodies to convey their character clearly to their audience. Older students will have the option of working on an individual monologue, or of working with a partner on a duologue. Alongside developing their own character and scene, students will continue to build on performance techniques developed in previous terms, until they are ready to present their script to an audience at the end of the term.
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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 Briar
Runs 8 weeks. Three options available: Mon, Wed or Thurs at 4 pm | Starts July 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 Briar or Josiah
Runs 8 weeks. Three options available, Mon, Wed or Thurs 5pm | Starts July 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 Briar or Josiah
Runs 8 weeks: Two options available: Wed or Thurs 6pm | Starts July 2025 | Cost $160
BOOK YOUR CHILD’S PLACE NOW
Who are the Drama TUTORs at Malthouse Drama School?
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Briar has been involved in the performing arts scene around Canterbury for over a decade, starting her theatre journey in North Canterbury. She has performed onstage with various theatre groups including Showbiz Christchurch, North Canterbury Musicals, Magnitude Productions, and MUSOC. She has worked offstage as a director, pianist, and musical director, again with many theatre groups around Canterbury, and she currently teaches Drama and English at Avonside Girls’ High School. Briar is excited to be working with Malthouse to share her experience and love of story-telling with a new group of rangatahi. |
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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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Anna has been involved in the world of theatre from the age of five when she joined her first theatre group as part of an outreach programme run by a local Art Gallery. From there she joined the Ashburton based Big Little Theatre Company, a young people’s theatre company based at the Ashburton Event Centre and offering training in all aspects of theatre craft. The company produced two full scale shows per year and Anna enjoyed playing a diverse collection of characters ranging from Shakespeare to contemporary absurdist and comedic creations. By the age of 17, Anna had completed the full suite of Trinity College (London) drama examinations to Grade 8. Anna has dedicated the past four years to teaching drama to children aged from 6 to 17, collaborating with the Lyttelton Arts Factory, The Big Little Theatre Company and recently Wildhearts. In doing this she has discovered a love of teaching, writing, and directing which has eclipsed her former love of performing and she wants to develop her career in this direction. She is very excited to be joining The Malthouse creative powerhouse and working alongside another group of amazing young people. |
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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
