About us - Cubbin Theatre Company

We are Hannah, Mel and Amy, the founding members of Cubbin Theatre Company. All three of us are professional theatre practitioners based in Christchurch, New Zealand, and our passion is making theatre for the very young.

Cubbin has been created from a desire to develop genuine theatre works for very young children. The importance of respect and play is prevalent in our company’s model, not only as a professional business, but as creators of engaging art.

Our vision – a world where high quality art is as integral to early childhood as the playground, and as accessible.

Our purpose – to delight and intrigue very young audiences through exceptional, creative theatre experiences.

We want our performances to be the addition to your day that brings you back to the marvel that is your little one. We want our shows to resonate with both the adult and the child. We want to give you a few moments of wonder that will last a lifetime.

Melanie Luckman Artistic Director

Mel is a theatre director based in Christchurch, New Zealand. Cubbin Theatre Company is her brainchild, coming from a desire for specific theatrical experiences for her own young children. Mel wanted to create Cubbin because children deserve beautiful creative experiences to feed their souls and their imaginations just as much as grown ups do. Some of her inspirations in creating this work include Magda Gerber and Janet Lansbury, Replay Theatre Belfast, Julie Wylie, and her own children Milo and Fox.

Mel has a Masters in Theatre Arts (Directing) from Te Kura Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School and Victoria University Wellington. She is a previous Associate Director of the Court Theatre and is still freelancing as a theatre director for grownups, most recently of the acclaimed productions of In The Next Room or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and Once- The Musical for The Court Theatre.

Amy Straker Music Specialist

Amy is an actor, musician, theatre maker and mother. She first worked with children under 5 at Lewis Eady Music School in Auckland. Amy graduated from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art in 2005 and has been working professionally ever since. Amy teaches Musical Play with Julie Wylie. Amy is in a duo called The Swan Sisters and plays her own music under the name Amy Grace.

Hannah Wheeler Producer

Whilst living and working for LATT Children’s theatre in Seoul, South Korea in 2013, Hannah saw her first baby theatre performance. Creating high quality, respectful and intelligent theatre for children has been an idea ever since and she loves working alongside Mel and Amy to create special Cubbin work.

Hannah is a graduate of NASDA and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, New York. She enjoys chocolate milkshakes and mountain biking around beautiful Aotearoa.

Want discover more about our team?

See our collaborators