"I now publish my adventures...."

"Exploring is delightful to look forward to and back upon, but it is not comfortable at the time, unless it be of such an easy nature as not to deserve the name". The last few months have seen Free Theatre and its collaborators embark upon a research journey into Samuel Butler’s 1872 novel Erewhon, inspired by the 4 years he spent in the foothills of the Southern Alps 🏔 at Mesopotamia Station climbing mountains, building cob huts, playing Handel 🎹 in the depths of Winter, ✍️ journals and shearing 🐑, and his forays into the Canterbury 🎭 society and by the 🔥 in the back rooms of Victorian era Christchurch. We are excited to share our own journey with you on our search for an ‘Erewhon’ of today, to uncover the back stories and explore the hidden perspectives and responses to this cultural taonga. Thanks to Creative New Zealand Arts Continuity Funding which has made this research possible.