This year it was Jacinda Ardern, the movie; next year it’s the Helen Clark, the play.
Helen Clark in Six Outfits is one of seven productions Auckland Theatre Company will stage in 2026. Despite it being an election year, ATC’s artistic director and CEO Jonathan Bielski says the timing is serendipitous rather than deliberate and the satire, written by Fiona Samuel, has been in development for some time.
Samuel is in the spotlight as the writer of Pike River, the Robert Sarkies film which stars Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm as Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse, two of the women who lost family in the 2010 Pike River Mine disaster which took the lives of 29 workers
Samuel is no stranger to political works. Much of her three-decades writing and directing for TV, theatre and film has centred on strong women. Before Pike River, she’d written Consent – The Louise Nicholas Story, Bliss – The Beginning of Katherine Mansfield, and Princess of Chaos the television drama about the revelation of the affair between former Auckland mayor Len Brown and Bevan Chuang.
Helen Clark in Six Outfits will star Jennifer Ward-Lealand as the older Clark. It’s framed as a journey through her life and times via her wardrobe. Bielski describes it as a witty yet thought-provoking exploration of how Clark was frequently judged on her appearance rather than her intellect or political acumen.
“I find it fascinating that as a young woman in the 1970s, she rose to such heights and broke through so many barriers,” he says. “But of course, as a politician, there’s also a lot of compromise along the way.
“One of the things I think audiences will do when they leave that production is they will think, I hope, about how Helen Clark and others of her generation broke through those metaphorical glass ceilings and forged paths for other women. But I think the question is open as to whether that has really paid off for women right now to go into leadership positions.
“I think of some women who are in, and who have been, in major leadership positions now, and how hard it still is for them and how the criticism and the comments about appearances continue to be a defining aspect. Quite aside from the abuse that some experience.”
Helen Clark in Six Outfits is followed by RBG: Of Many, One based on the life Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the former Associate Justice to the US Supreme Court, and written by Susie Miller. Australian playwright Miller is best-known for her award-winning Prima Facie, about the justice system and female victims of sexual assault.
First produced by Sydney Theatre Company, RBG: Of Many, One comes to Auckland through a partnership between ATC and Auckland Live, the region’s umbrella organisation for venues and live entertainment.
The partnership will allow ATC to present its first musical in eight years, Cabaret, the Broadway perennial about showbiz life in pre-war Berlin as the Nazis came to power. It turns 60 next year. “Putting on a musical is very expensive; it’s a big risk for a theatre company. In the ‘old days’, you used to think of the musical as the big annual fundraiser. Well, really nothing is an annual fundraiser anymore when it comes to performing arts,” says Bielski.
Bielski says each production has its own rationale for why it’s landing in 2026 instead of another year. He didn’t seek a thematic programme, but rather individual works that can speak differently to the company’s audiences.
Next year also marks 10 years since ATC opened the ASB Waterfront Theatre.
THE SHOWS
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
February 7-22
The fastest selling show in Auckland Theatre Company’s history, audiences literally demanded to see it again. “It was a wonderful experience. Audiences were literally pounding on the box office counter after hours, hoping to secure a last-minute ticket,” says Bielski. Cameron Rhodes reprises his role as Hercule Poirot in the Agatha Christie’s whodunnit, supported by a killer cast including Jennifer Ludlham and Mayen Mehta.
Waiora Te Ūkaipo – The Homeland
By Hone Kouka
March 6 - 22
Bielski says throughout his time at ATC, he’s sought to revisit classic New Zealand plays and Waiora Te Ūkaipo – The Homeland is one of those. “There’s no specific comment being made by including this play right now. It’s just that it’s turning 30, so it’s time for Hone to revisit it. As is the case with a number of the works [in the 2026 season], it has something that is timeless to say.”
Originally presented at the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of Arts in Wellington, Wairoa considers the impact of colonisation and urbanisation during the mid-60s within one family unit. As disharmony surfaces the whānau are confronted with decisions between life past and future.
Helen Clark in Six Outfits
By Fiona Samuel
April 7-26
The world premiere of Helen Clark in Six Outfits is a satirical, humorous play fashioned on the life of former Prime Minister, Helen Clark while the nation became equally fixated with her appearance and personal life during her rise as New Zealand’s first elected female Prime Minister during her term as one of the most powerful women on the political stage. Commissioned by Auckland Theatre Company, it will be directed by former Silo Artistic Director Sophie Roberts.
RBG: Of Many, One
By Suzie Miller
May 20 - June 7
Based on the life of US lawyer and former Associate Justice to the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg, RBG: Of Many, One by Sydney Theatre Company comes direct to Auckland following a return season in Australia. Ginsburg was a ground breaker in the American judiciary and a fierce advocate for gender equality and reproductive rights. Her life is brought to the stage by Olivier Award-winning Australian playwright, Suzie Miller (Prima Facie) and played by the astonishing Heather Mitchell.
Sons of Vao
by Vela Manusaute
June 18 – July 5
A world premiere, Vela Manusaute’s autobiographical Adam NZ Play Awards -winning script is a powerful and moving Pasifika play that centres on the lives of three brothers who revere their father but equally seek to escape his formidable influence. Sons of Vao is directed by actor/director, Anapela Polata’ivao and stars Beulah Koale. Bielski describes it as a deeply personal work. “It’s a story he’s been wanting to tell and he’s ready to tell it now.”
Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
July 28 – August 16
One of William Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, Macbeth is known for its exploration of ambition, evil and fate. Following recent hit revivals on the West End and Broadway, this new production is directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson, who helmed this year’s Romeo & Juliet. The cast includes Mark Mitchinson as the tormented Macbeth alongside Sara Wiseman as the ambitious and manipulative Lady Macbeth. Not to be confused with the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s production of Macbeth touring the country early next year.
Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff, Music by John Kander and Lyrics by Fred Ebb
September 22 – October 18
Produced in collaboration with Auckland Live and directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson, the Emcee will be played by Matu Ngaropo who excelled as George Washington in Hamilton, together with Nomi Cohen who stars as Sally Bowles following her turn as Roxy Hart in the recent production of Chicago.
