NAT has an ever-changing line up; that’s the beauty of having an open-access theatre venue! See what your favourite performers are up to and discover new artists, by checking here regularly. NAT doesn’t pre-programme seasons, so this is where you can see what we have going on. We have a bar open from 1 hourish before the show, and you are welcome to take your drinks into the theatre (there’s no BYO!)
Paul Douglas – Could Be Keen
Sat 18 April, 8pm
Tix: $20+bf HERE
Bar open from 6pm
Join Award winning Kiwi Comedian Paul Douglas for his latest hour “Could be keen!”
Keen for what? Well anything really. He’s just gotta be a bit more cautious these days, hence the ‘Could’.
You don’t have to completely stop having fun as you get older, you just need to start being cautiously keen and Paul’s here to show you how it’s done.
Come find out how Paul navigates life as someone who wants to live fast but can’t quite keep up.
A master storyteller, Paul’s simultaneously laid back and frenetic energy has been winning over audiences for more than 10 years and will leave you wanting to have a yarn with the man himself.
As seen on Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont Spelling Bee”, Sydney Comedy Festival Roadshow.
6 x Nominee – Best Male Comedian – New Zealand Comedy Awards
“[Just] a dude with a microphone being incredibly funny” – Libel
Prince of the Psychiatric System
FRI 22 May, SAT 23 May, 7pm
SUN 24 May, 2pm
Tickets: $25 HERE
On sale 6 April!!
‘Prince of the Psychiatric System’ is a true-life story written by Dunedin resident Haki S Davis, a Dunedin playwright and poet, in 2021. The play highlights lived experience in the New Zealand mental health system. The first performance of the play was met with success, and it has now been revised and edited by Haki with substantial changes made based on feedback from the audience.
‘Prince of the Psychiatric System’ is a powerful, original stage play that explores the inner world of a patient navigating life inside a psychiatric ward in Ōtepoti. Blending lived experience with elements of surrealism and allegory, the play invites audiences deep into the mind of DeArk – a character experiencing schizophrenia, paranoia, religious delusion, and grandiose thinking – while confronting the stigma and side effects of mental health treatment.
Guided by the invisible presence of Pinocchio, an audible voice only he can hear, DeArk embarks on a profound psychological and spiritual journey. Pinocchio does not heal through pills, or diagnosis but through radical empathy, imagination, and challenge. He helps DeArk find pathways toward dignity, insight, and self-worth—not by erasing the illness, but by learning to live with it constructively.
With moments of absurdity, tragedy, and deep human truth, ’Prince of the Psychiatric System’ critiques the limits of conventional psychiatric care while honouring the resilience of those who endure it. The work confronts the uneasy balance between medical treatment and personal agency, asking timely questions about what it truly means to be well.
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
OCTAGON COLLECTIVE Poetry Night – 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7pm
FREE poetry readings – special guest artists, and open mic.
MONTHLY, WEDNESDAYS - 11/2, 11/3, 8/4, 13/5, 10/6, 8/7, 12/8, 9/9, 14/10, 11/11, 9/12
7PM
Bar from 6pm – no BYO
Femme: Experience a vibrant showcase of burlesque and cabaret artistry, confidence, empowerment and creativity that honors femininity in all its forms.
8PM
Bar from 7pm – no BYO
Returning 2026 – mark your calendars!
Octagon Poetry: 11/2, 11/3, 8/4, 13/5, 10/6, 8/7, 12/8, 9/9, 14/10, 11/11, 9/12
Femme: 14/2, 16/5, 22/8, 31/10, 12/12
Improsaurus: 24/4, 15/5, 29/5, 12/6, 28/8, 18/9, 2/10, 16/10, 30/10
Keep an eye out for dates to be confirmed, and mark your diaries 🙂
New Athenaeum Theatre 