Established in 1992, Auckland Theatre Company is Auckland's premier professional theatre company. ATC presents a season of main stage plays each year as well as running a highly regarded creative learning programme. In 2016 ATC took up residence at the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Wynyard Quarter.

ATC now tours both nationally and internationally, presents an annual youth theatre festival HERE & NOW, which nurtures young talent, stories, ideas and audiences, runs an extensive matinee and workshop programme in schools, offers paid directing internships, playwriting workshops, play readings, dramaturg support for developing playwrights and summer school workshops for secondary school students.

Billy Elliot the Musical - Daniel Cooper and Jackson Cook - Photography by Michael Smith

The Glass Menagerie - Richard Knowles and Antonia Prebble - Photography by Michael Smith

Auckland Theatre Company was founded by Simon Prast who was its first Artistic Director. Ten years later, in 2003, Colin McColl took over the reins to became Artistic Director and has led the company every since.

ATC’s first production opened at the Watershed Theatre in 1993, the world premiere of Lovelock’s Dream Run, directed by Raymond Hawthorne. ATC has since gone on to present over 180 main stage productions.

ATC have performed in numerous venues round the city including the Kenneth Maidment Theatre, Q Theatre, The Watershed, Sky City Theatre, Civic Theatre, Herald Theatre and Basement Theatre but we always dreamt of having a place to call our own.

After seven years of intensive fundraising, in 2016 we opened the doors to our new home, ASB Waterfront Theatre. Located in the heart of Wynyard Quarter’s new innovation precinct, ASB Waterfront Theatre is now a thriving hub of arts and culture. Auckland Theatre Company’s season plays at the theatre for up to 24 weeks of the year; this is complimented with the very best of both national and international dance, film and theatre.

Period Costume

Ross McCormack in Amadeus

Around the world, theatre designers and directors have grappled with how much period is too much when they stage productions set in historic times. Auckland Theatre Company’s veteran designer, Elizabeth Whiting, has designed costumes for numerous ATC productions since the company's very first show in 1993. A master of her craft, Elizabeth is very clear on what works for audiences.

Tangata Whenua

Rena Owen, Maria Walker & Tiare Tawera in The Pohutukawa Tree - Photography by Michael Smith

From its launch in 1993, Auckland Theatre Company, through founding director Simon Prast, was determined to bring New Zealand stories to the stage.

2019

Ayesha Heble in A Fine Balance

Joe Witkowski, Andrew Grainger, Jonny Brugh, and Simon Leary in Filthy Business

2018

2017

Amadeus

Billy Elliot the Musical

2016

Polo

You Can Always Hand Them Back

To Kill A Mockingbird

That Bloody Woman

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Venus in Fur

Billy Elliot the Musical

2015

The Ladykillers

A Doll's House

Enlightenment

Rupert

Lysistrata

Heroes

Guys & Dolls

Lysistrata

Robyn Malcolm as Shui Ta in The Good Person of Szechwan

2014

Fallen Angels

Paniora!

Other Desert Cities

Once On Chunk Bair

The Good Soul Of Szechuan

Trees Beneath The Lake

Jesus Christ Superstar

2013

Kings Of The Gym

Midnight In Moscow

The Glass Menagerie

Anne Boleyn

The Heretic

Lord Of The Flies

Chicago

Anna Jullienne and Andrew Grainger in Anne Boleyn - Photography by Michael Smith

George Henare in Awatea

2012

The Motorcamp

In The Next Room Or The Vibrator Play

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Shortcut To Happiness

Black Confetti

Awatea

The Gift

Little Shop Of Horrors

2011

Well Hung

Poor Boy

Mary Stuart

Red

On The Upside Down Of The World

Calendar Girls

The End Of The Golden Weather

The Twits

Laurel Devenie in On the Upside Down of the World

Lisa Chappell and Adam Gardiner in The Importance of Being Earnest

2010

Le Sud

The Importance Of Being Earnest

Horseplay

Stepping Out

Romeo And Juliet

August: Osage County

Cabaret

2009

The Thirty-Nine Steps

The Wife Who Spoke Japanese In Her Sleep

She Stoops To Conquer

Four Flat Whites In Italy

God Of Carnage

The Pohutukawa Tree

Oliver!

Hera Dunleavy and Miranda Harcourt in God of Carnage

Goretti Chadwick in Where We Once Belonged - Photography by Tony Rabbit

2008

Design For Living

Where We Once Belonged

The Female Of The Species

Who Needs Sleep Anyway?

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Ship Songs

Blackbird

The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee

2007

The Tutor

Hatch

Who Wants To Be 100

The Crucible

The Pillowman

My Name Is Gary Cooper

End Of The Rainbow

Brooke Williams in The Crucible

George Henare in Twelfth Night

2006

Wheeler's Luck

Doubt

Mum’s Choir

Twelfth Night

The Blonde, The Brunette And The Vengeful Redhead

The Ocean Star

Sweet Charity

2005

Niu Sila

Equus

Taking Off

The Bach

The Duchess Of Malfi

Up For Grabs

Disgrace

High Society

Michael Hurst in The Duchess of Malfi

Oliver Driver and Danielle Cormack in Caligula

2004

The Talented Mr. Ripley

Goldie

Spreading Out

The Bach

Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf

Caligula

A Christmas Carol

2003

The Graduate

The Shape Of Things

Middle Age Spread

The World's Wife

The Songmaker's Chair

Filler Up

Ladies Night

Elizabeth Hawthorne in The Graduate

Danielle Cormack and Tearepa Kahi in The Bellbird

2002

The Rocky Horror Show

Waiting For Godot

Stones In His Pockets

Travesties

The Bellbird

Noises Off

The Daylight Atheist

The Play About The Baby

Take A Chance On Me

The Vagina Monolouges

2001

A Streetcar Named Desire

Haruru Mai

The Blue Room

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead

Secret Bridesmaids Business

Copenhagen

Hair

Take A Chance On Me

George Henare in Haruru Mai

A.R.T.

2000

A.R.T.

Collected Stories

The Beauty Queen Of Leenane

Wit

The God Boy

Serial Killers

Into The Woods

The Judas Kiss

1999

Cabaret

Closer

The Bookclub

The Cripple Of Inishmaan

Death Of A Salesman

Foreskin's Lament

Amy's View

Amy's View

Julius Caesar

1998

12 Angry Men

The Wind In The Willows

Vita Virginia

Four Cities

Honour

The Herbal Bed

Julius Caesar

1997

Arcadia

Molly Sweeney

All My Sons

Master Class

Social Climbers

Skylight

Paul Minifie, Ilona Rodgers and Erik Thomson in All My Sons

1996

Three Tall Women

Travels With My Aunt

Market Forces

Uncle Vanya

Oleanna

Dead Funny

The Learner's Stand

Dancing At Lughnasa

1995

Sophia Hawthorne and Simon Prast in The Seagull

1994

Angels In America

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me

By Degrees

The Seagull

Lovelock’s Dream Run

Daughters Of Heaven

1993