Theatre

Two sold-out shows in Wanaka by Oscar-nominated actor Sir Ian McKellen have raised tens of thousands of dollars towards the restoration of Christchurch's earthquake-damaged Isaac Theatre Royal.

A hostage drama-comedy will be staged in Arrowtown this September by the Remarkables Theatre group.

A trip to the Waitaki Aquatic Centre in Oamaru left British actress Miriam Margolyes slightly puzzled this week, after a resident informed the former Harry Potter star that the works of Charles Dickens was "too highbrow" for the town.

Young playwright Aaron Blackledge has an agenda, reports Marjorie Cook, in Wanaka.

Noel and Sue Walker, producers of the Gang Show playing at the Mayfair Theatre, can be very proud of the 2011 production they have devised and directed over the past five months.

At one level, The Tutor is a comedy about male bonding, making allowances and reaching good outcomes.

A new Dunedin theatre company has taken the stage.

Rehearsals are under way for the South Otago Theatrical Society's production of The Wizard of Oz , starring country sweetheart Vickie Evans. The Balclutha-based country singer will make her acting debut as Dorothy.

If you like your theatre straightforward, 2 Dimensional Life of Her is not for you. But if you have a healthy imagination and a childlike enthusiasm for new ideas, see Fleur Elise Noble's remarkable performance.

Tickets for the opening night tonight of an original laugh- and song-packed stage production have almost sold out, and the Wakatipu stars could not be happier.