Basement Theatre

«I think there is no world without theatre.» — Edward Bond
I totally agree. Gosh, I remember when ‘Basement Theatre’ when it was a rundown, grungy space used by Silo Theatre! How times have changed. There have been many new developments recently with the space, to encourage emerging artists to perform at the theatre at affordable, community-​friendly rates. There are 2 theatres — upstairs studio seats 65 people & downstairs seats 100 patrons. The bar has a good selection of craft beers and NZ wines. Please note there is limited space to stand or sit around the bar, however you can go outside when the weather permits. Tickets prices start from $ 10-​$ 25. I have attended many plays here over the years from the absurdist to apocalypse to comedy to classic drama. Definitely worth a visit to experience something different! Unilocal

I love is place, I’ve been to some great comedy shows here. Parking’s easy and cheap outside. Not a very well stocked bar though, I think I tried three times to order something and they were out of all three choices (one was diet coke!). But, I don’t come here for a drink, it’s the shows. Good value night out, cheap night is Wednesday. Give it a try.

I went to the Basement Theatre for the first time in the weekend and was immediately annoyed that I hadn’t been earlier. It’s preeeetty cool.
Tucked off Greys Ave, The Basement backs onto a public car park and is hidden from the street. While this adds to it’s «underground» appeal it can make it tricky to find if it’s your first time. My advice is to enter from the Q Theatre on Queen St, head down the LHS stairs at the back and then keep an eye out for the brightly coloured stools and blue barrels, which are used as tables outside.
As others mentioned, The Basement is known for giving emerging artists a platform to perform. They host a wide range of acts from comedy to acting to poetry to dance. It’s also home to SNORT, an improv show that’s on every Friday at 10pm. It’s supposed to be hilarious but word on the street is it regularly sells out so if you’re keen to go, definitely get there early.
In fact, I would recommend getting there early no matter what show you go to to have a drink beforehand. The bar is stocked with delicious beer, wine and spirits and there’s a cool area out the front for you to sit and drink.

I’m still not convinced of the burning need for yet another theatre in Auckland City. In this little block alone there are three theatres, all of which seem well equipped and well attended. Basement Theatre is an ‘entry level’ theatre — it seems to be the place where budding actors and failed Shortland Street stars ply their trade. They recently underwent a pretty extensive renovation, and now come across as a far more accessible place — although one negative aspect of this transformation is the loss of the — pardon the cliché — grittiness of the place.
I’m not sure if the Basement Theatre still allows people to put on music shows, but I have been to a few down here and the space is well suited for these type of events — with great acoustics, a reasonably cheap bar and friendly staff.

The Basement is great. Especially now. It used to be really scummy and was kind of awkwardly this sort of faux dive bar. It was still pretty great then. In spite of the grunge. Actually maybe because of the grunge. It kind of accentuated the kind of theatre and performance art that thrives within the confines of the Basement.
Anyway, at the end of the year they got some kind of big grant or something and did up their premises so now they have a pretty ritzy little space happening. They’ve got a couple of tap beers and a nice big bar and plenty of space to just hang out before or after. It’s pretty nice.

The Basement is pretty much the home of actors fresh from drama school just starting to put on their own shows and for those a bit more experienced but wanting to do a more gritty, edgy piece. Because of this you can usually go to a show at The Basement for very little money (around $ 20) and see some pretty damn good theatre. I’ve been to quite a few shows here over the years and one of the things I most enjoy about the venue is the workshop space up the stairs. A few of my friends have put on shows up there and the space is usually fitted out with a mixture of armchairs, couches and ordinary theatre seating. In this space you’re up close and personal with the actors and you feel like you’re almost in their living room. If you get a chance to see a show in this space I’d definitely recommend going along!

The basement theatre is a fantastic place to check out. They always have interesting shows on and especially during the Fringe Festival and Auckland Art Week, keep an eye on their events because they get some goodies. Prices are usually about $ 10, not a bad price for a bit of «culture» and off beat entertainment. Even if you don’t typically go to plays, you’ll probably be surprised at how enjoyable they are to watch. It’s a cool venue too, they serve alcohol and the whole place has a grungy feel to it. It attracts the «arty”/hipster crowd so if you’re keen to get «in» with these peeps come round, have a few and get chummy with Auckland’s indie social lights.

The Basement is a grungy little theatre complex at the foot of Greys Avenue that offers a great counterbalance to the bigger, more bigger, professional theatres that surround it in the Midtown area. This place is all about giving the up-​and-​coming writers and performers a platform. As such, the shows are always great value so it’s a great place to take a punt on something you’ve never seen or heard of before, whether it be theatre, dance, comedy or any other art form for that matter. It’s especially busy through the March period when the Fringe is running — plenty of Fringe shows take place at the Basement. Never boring!