Blog | Afterthoughts

Jeff Clark tries to stay away from politics or sport as much as possible and apologises for tackling both in his latest blog (some puns intended).

"In a 2006 survey in Canterbury, one respondent defined Christchurch as 'The Cathedral, the Crusaders and The Court'. Two are back: one may well be lost for good. I guess that’s as close as we’re going to get to something like the old 'normal'." Read More »

Within days of fleeing the Christchurch quake on 22 February 2011, and still in shock, Jeff Clark responded the only way he knew how – by organising a fundraising Court Jester performance in Nelson. Since then he’s continued to share his ‘Afterthoughts’ and journey towards “getting back to the business of entertaining the people of Christchurch”.  In his latest post, Jeff reflects on the past year. Read More »

By Jeff Clark in Christchurch

The Court Theatre is open to the public. Typing those words is a great feeling. Last week we finally cast the doors wide and welcomed the people who are the life blood of the theatre back to The Court. Read More »

Things are starting to change around Christchurch city, says Jeff Clark in his latest Afterthoughts blog.

"Small shoots of normality – or at least, the 'new normal' – are starting to break through the cracks, and it’s a nice feeling to be carrying into summer." Read More »

As the last details of The Court Theatre’s opening season brochure are finished, Jeff Clark looks at putting together the support material to promote a new season of plays in Christchurch at the same time as putting together a theatre. Read More »

The Court Theatre will reopen in a new part of town on December 10. Jeff Clark talks about reaching that goal and the ones that still lie ahead for the theatre and Christchurch (while touching on another event that prefers 'tries' to 'goals'). Read More »

In his latest Afterthoughts blog, Jeff Clark highlights the growing support from NZ and around the world for The Court Theatre in Christchurch - including new patron of the fundraising appeal Dame Maggie Smith.

"For an internationally renowned actress to show her support for a theatre on the other side of the world is an incredibly generous gesture." Read More »

It has been six months since everything changed for Christchurch. Jeff Clark looks back, looks around and looks forward to the future for the city, people and arts scene.

"Those first few weeks were probably the hardest any arts groups or artists have faced in New Zealand: where, when and how can the city, let alone the arts it once fostered, recover? Read More »

By Jeff Clark in Christchurch

The cold snap may have dropped a huge amount of snow on Christchurch, but several groups are ploughing on with productions to warm things up in the garden city. The Court Theatre has had a flurry of activity in the past month, but with just four months before their new venue opens, there isn’t time to rest on their laurels. Read More »

Jeff Clark flew to Auckland and back last weekend. Apart from an eardrum rupturing, he had a great time and has seen some bright spots in Christchurch during the last few days – the brightest being a concert for The Court Theatre that raised more than $65,000. Read More »

By Jeff Clark in Christchurch

Well, that buggers the blog I was writing last week. Like it or not, aftershocks can be a powerful editing tool and I felt obliged to write a new version that more accurately reflects the current situation. Hopefully I won’t use the “an earthquake ate my homework” excuse too often from here on in... Read More »

By Jeff Clark in Christchurch

Numbers have a new meaning in Christchurch. People can say “we had a 4.6 last night” without getting a perplexed expression - the Richter scale is part of the vernacular for many Cantabrians. Read More »

By Jeff Clark in Christchurch

We gathered and stood in a giant shed.

It was a Sunday. I had driven back from Dunedin with my family the day before but received a text that there was a Court Theatre company meeting in Addington, so unpacking was temporarily put on hold. Read More »

Jeff Clark blogs about The Court’s fortieth birthday and the space between damage and recovery in Christchurch. He says it's like 'the anticipation at the end of an interval'.

"Please return to your seats. The performance will resume shortly." Read More »

In his latest ‘Afterthoughts’ blog, Jeff Clark talks about performing in the first Scared Scriptless in Christchurch since the quake, relocating to Dunedin for a temp job at Fortune Theatre, and The Court Theatre’s search for a new home.

“The Court Theatre has always been more than buildings and our people are adept at taking limitations and creating art.” Read More »

In the first of a series of 'Afterthoughts' posts, Jeff Clark shares his experience during the quake inside the Arts Centre and the journey towards "getting back to the business of entertaining the people of Christchurch". Read More »