Things are starting to change around Christchurch city, says Jeff Clark in his latest Afterthoughts blog.

"Small shoots of normality – or at least, the 'new normal' – are starting to break through the cracks, and it’s a nice feeling to be carrying into summer."

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Last weekend I went to the new “pop-up” shopping mall in Cashel Street. Aptly named the 'Restart' mall, it’s one of the first parts of the central city to reopen. The street where a number of people lost their lives nine months ago has been cleared and a number of stores – from fashion, to bookstores, to coffee shops, as well as the iconic central city department store Ballantynes – have been housed in modified shipping containers. Already over 20,000 people have come in to shop and take a better look at the central city.

It is a much more up close and personal view of the ongoing decimation of the CBD than the majority of the population have ever had. Around the mall several buildings earmarked for demolition still stand; the largest being the Hotel Grand Chancellor, which at times literally overshadows the mall. It’s an interesting new vantage point at what has happened in the central city.

The design and execution of the project is to be admired. There is the palpable feeling of a fresh start as you walk amongst the brightly coloured containers. For me, however, the best part of the mall wasn’t the shopping (I don’t really need any Karen Walker, personally): it was the buskers that lined the street. In a year where Christchurch shoppers have been largely forced into malls (which are hardly known for their entertainment value) seeing musicians, singers and other street performers back in their natural habitat is a great thing.

On the floor

Last week rehearsals began for A Shortcut to Happiness, the first show in the new theatre. It’s hard to describe the feeling of actors, designers, directors and choreographers coming together on a project after the year we’ve all had, other than to say it was an emotional time for many.

Ross (our Artistic Director) calls Shortcut “the play our audience needs”. It’s a joyous play through and through; laden with comedy, recognisable characters, a love story - and even a bit of folk dancing thrown in for good measure. Over half of the cast are local actors and the rest have performed at the theatre before, so it is a real feeling of family coming back together.

As we welcome actors back and prepare for them to take to the new stage, so too are we welcoming back the people working behind the scenes. Box office staff, bar staff – people who have been noticeably absent over the past year and whose return brings another fresh breath of air/ray of light into the tunnel we have all been pushing through.

Rehearsals are still off-site (hard hats and high-vis vests would probably disrupt the artistic process) but it gives the build towards opening night – and the opening of the new theatre – an extra momentum.

Fancy Footwork

As well as extra momentum, there is also extra pressure: we are promoting a new show, a new season, a new location (all with a “due date” that is rapidly approaching ) and an ongoing fundraising appeal. Along with that is signage, posters, fliers and the multitudinous miscellaneous material that most theatres take for granted until they realise there isn’t a ready supply waiting in boxes out the back.

But even that sort of exponential build in workload is matched by a mounting sense of excitement, and thus far (knock on wood) everything has arrived by the time it is needed. As I put the final touches on this blog we have had a batch of posters, fliers, ticket wallets and season brochures all delivered. It’s good to be ticking things off the very long list of “things we need”.

If I am able to bleat for two paragraphs on the amount of work to be done, I must spare a few lines for the work done by our construction team and project managers. This week the parking lot is almost done, the front doors are in and the seats are just about to go into the new auditorium. Every day it is less a construction site and more a performance space. As far as a “new normal” goes, it’s definitely one an increasing number of people are looking forward to.