Phoenix Theatre is hosting a special celebratory evening at The PumpHouse Theatre on 11 August, marking exactly 50 years since Roger Hall's Glide Time first took to the stage.

The event will include a Q&A with Sir Roger Hall, tributes to his career, and a short scene performed by the cast of our upcoming anniversary production of Glide Time, which opens at The PumpHouse in September. Supper will be provided and a cash bar will be available. Doors open at 6:30pm for pre-event mingling, with the main programme running from 7:00pm to 8:00pm, followed by further time to mix and mingle.

On 11 August 1976, Glide Time opened at Circa Theatre in Wellington to extraordinary demand. The waiting list passed a thousand names, and the production transferred to a larger venue to keep up. The play went on to tour the country and later inspired Gliding On, the television series that became a staple of New Zealand broadcasting.

Sir Roger Hall is New Zealand's most prolific and most performed playwright, with more than 40 plays written over five decades. His second full-length play, Middle Age Spread, transferred to London's West End and won the Comedy of the Year award from the Society of West End Theatres. His honours include an honorary Doctorate of Literature from Victoria University, the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement, and in 2019, a knighthood as Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to theatre.

Sir Roger has described Glide Time as "the big break that allowed me to become a full-time writer."

We're looking forward to welcoming audiences to what promises to be a memorable evening in honour of a remarkable career.

Tickets are $20 and are available now at www.pumphouse.co.nz/50

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