Arts Centre Creative Director Chris Archer says internationally some of the most innovative theatre is produced for infants and toddlers, and Cubbin Theatre is at the vanguard of that in New Zealand. “The Arts Centre is delighted to support Cubbin Theatre Company by providing a venue that is a safe, welcoming space for littlies,” he says. “The company’s commitment to developing work in Christchurch is also a great fit for The Arts Centre.”
Melanie Luckman co-founded Cubbin Theatre with Hannah Wheeler (producer/performer) and Amy Straker (musician/performer). Cubbin Theatre has a distinctive approach to developing and performing shows that prioritises the needs of their very young audience.
Their critically acclaimed show, Up and Away, for infants who cannot yet walk was developed in collaboration with a Speech Language Therapist and is performed to very small numbers inside a gently lit teepee, where the audience can crawl around safely.
Cubbin Theatre’s show for babies Up and Away has been selected to perform at the prestigious ASSITEJ International festival in Marseille, France in March 2025. Help them get there and to KLAP Festival in Denmark, the world’s largest festival for Theatre for Young Audiences, to experience 150 productions in one week. Come and support their fundraiser concert: Amy Grace and Friends happening in the Great Hall on Sunday 23 Feb. Find out more and book now.
Cubbin Theatre's 2025 programme
Up and Away (March)
Bundle Baby (June)
Me and My Nana (July)
Sportsball (September)
Up and Away (November)
Cubbin Concert (December)
About Cubbin Theatre
Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand, Cubbin Theatre Company makes quality, respectful and playful theatre for the very young. Cubbin began in 2018 from a desire to develop genuine theatre works for very young children and is the only company in Aotearoa making work for this age group.
Previous works include: Up & Away, Play Play, Me and My Nana, Sportsball and most recently Cubbin Concert. Cubbin Theatre Company has performed as part of the Auckland Live children's programme with Up and Away and Play Play and has toured Up and Away and Me and My Nana to regional Arts Festivals in Te Waipounamu.
Thanks to Creative New Zealand, in 2025 Cubbin will be once again presenting an annual programme of their theatre works at Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre for their community in Ōtautahi Christchurch.
Cubbin’s vision is of a world where high quality art is as integral to early childhood as the playground, and as accessible and want their performances and experiences to be an addition to your day that brings you back to the wonder that is your little one. Cubbin Theatre Company became a charitable trust in 2023.
cubbin.co.nz
Artist Bio's
Melanie Luckman
Mel is a theatre director based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Cubbin Theatre Company is her brainchild, coming from a desire for specific theatrical experiences for her own young children. Mel wanted to create Cubbin because children deserve beautiful creative experiences to feed their souls and their imaginations just as much as grown ups do. Some of her inspirations in creating this work include Magda Gerber and Janet Lansbury, Replay Theatre Belfast, Julie Wylie, and her own children Milo and Fox.
Mel has a Masters in Theatre Arts (Directing) from Te Kura Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School and Victoria University Wellington. She is a previous Associate Director of the Court Theatre and is still freelancing as a theatre director for grownups, most recently of the acclaimed productions of In The Next Room or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Once- The Musical and A Doll’s House for The Court Theatre, That Bloody Woman for Showbiz Christchurch and Andy Manning’s award-winning solo performance False Idol. Mel is a previous board member of PAYPA – Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa – the New Zealand arm of ASSITEJ.
Hannah Wheeler
Hannah is the General Manager and Producer for Cubbin Theatre Company as well as being an accomplished performer and singer. Trained at the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art in Christchurch, she began her career as a professional actor and has worked with The Court Theatre, Christchurch. Hannah developed the role of Shadow Thief for LATT Children’s Theatre, based in Seoul, South Korea. Whilst based in London, Hannah sang with the Fourth Choir performing in Europe and the UK. Hannah’s recent other life as a project manager for a global software company, gives her valuable business insight and skills that she brings to the day to day running of Cubbin. As a performer for Cubbin, Hannah has created Up and Away, Play Play, Me and My Nana and Cubbin’s album ‘Cubbin Music – Songs for children under 5’. Hannah lives in Christchurch and is a mother to Winnie (4 years) and Lilian (2 years) and is passionate about telling stories for the very young. Hannah is a board member of PAYPA – Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa, the New Zealand arm of ASSITEJ.
Amy Straker
Amy Straker is an actor, musician, theatre maker and performance coach. Since graduating from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA) in 2005 Amy has been in constant work through Aotearoa (New Zealand) Amy is in a folk duo called The Swan Sisters and also writes her own music under the name Amy Grace. She has written numerous songs with Cubbin Theatre Company as well as doing sound design. Amy has been involved in the making of all Cubbin's original works. She has also contributed as an actor to several new plays through workshops at The Court Theatre in Otautahi (Christchurch). Amy is a performance coach in both film and theatre working closely with directors to support young actors. Amy has taught music to under 5's with Lewis Eady Music School and Julie Wylie Musical Play. Amy can also be found at Telling Tales, a children's bookshop.
Images by Nayhauss.
