About

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We're a student society that doubles as a theatre company, with over 100 years of experience. We aim to produce quality shows, promote a safe space to give theatre a go, and support drama and performing arts in the wider Christchurch community.

We aim to perform three major shows over the course of 2025. The first of these, Carlo Goldini’s The Servant of Two Masters was performed in March to great success! The second, Max Frisch’s The Arsonists has tickets on sale now, available below!

The Arsonists - Tickets

Max Frisch’s 1953 satire The Arsonists is a biting and farcical attack not just on fascism, but also on the people who allow it to brew. It tells the story of Gottlieb Biedermann, an average businessman who lets two strangers stay in his house during a series of arson attacks. Chaos and comedy ensues, as the Biedermann household tries to get its head around what they have thrown themselves into.

Get your tickets to Dramasoc’s mid-year show now!

Some Sort of reunion

Written by DramaSoc member Nicholas Matheson, 2024’s “Some Sort of Reunion” tells the story of a high school reunion between a group of friends 10 years after graduation. However, it gradually becomes clear that three of those friends are planning to murder the fourth. Nothing quite goes to plan, though, and the intervention of a surprise plus one, an overly friendly hotel employee, and two detectives with motives of their own creates a series of unexpected obstacles as dark secrets are revealed and chaos unfolds.

The Pictureof Dorian Gray

The "perverted novel" that saw Oscar Wilde imprisoned. A compelling exploration of vanity, morality and consequence. DramaSoc's 2023 adaptation of "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was set against a background of Victorian opulence fused with surrealism. It explored themes of vanity and morality, creating a unique opportunity to experience Oscar Wilde's perverse classic in a new light.

Say What? Social Improv - Facebook Group

What is Say What? you say? It's DramaSoc's very own casual improv group, a place where both improv veterans and new recruits can have fun practicing and performing improvised theatre.

Say What? tailors to all levels of skill; old pros who want some improv with friends on Tuesday nights, less experienced people who want to play around or maybe #levelup, and even people who feel a bit nervous about the whole thing and just want to watch a couple sessions before they jump in.

Join the Say What? Facebook group for updates..

Social Media

To stay up to date with all our events make sure you follow our Facebook page and join all our groups.

Main Facebook Page

Say what? group

The Canterbury College Drama Society was founded in 1921 under the leadership of Sir James Shelley. The club then rapidly rose to prominence, enjoying multiple decades as one of New Zealand's leading performing arts societies.

The most notable of these golden years was the 1942-69 era during which the society was lead by Dame Ngaio Marsh. In this time, the society produced multiple critically-acclaimed shows, particularly those of Shakespeare. The society also completed both a New Zealand tour (Othello & Hamlet, 1944-45) and an Australian tour (Othello & Six Characters in Search of an Author, 1949).

The club was wound-up in 1990 due to financial reasons, but was revived in 1993 by an ad-hoc committee. The society has since been in full operation since 1994.

In 1933, The Canterbury College Drama Society became The Canterbury University College Drama Society. Then in 1961 it became The University of Canterbury Drama Society. Finally, in 2002 the society became The University of Canterbury Drama Society Incorporated. Throughout all this time the society has alternately been referred to as DRAMASOC, Dramasoc, and DramaSoc.

DramaSoc's recent home has been the Ngaio Marsh Theatre in the UCSA building. However, following the tragic 2011 Christchurch Earthquake and the subsequent destruction of the UCSA building in which the theatre was homed, DramaSoc now performs in both the Jack Mann Auditorium and Bentley's Bar. DramaSoc has returned to the Ngaio Marsh after its reconstruction was completed in 2019, and has been there ever since! 2021 marked 100 years of DramaSoc, and the club celebrated with a weekend of centenary celebrations.

Since 2021, DramaSoc has continued producing regular shows each year, with increasing scope and scale each time. Producing both minor and major productions, the club has made a tradition of 3Some, a night of a locally written short plays, and SayWhat?, an improv club which performs on stage each year. As well as this, DramaSoc has performed long form plays by the likes of Oscar Wilde, in the genre of commedia dell’arte, and by local artists. Things can only go uphill from here!