Civic Theatre – Invercargil

The Civic Theatre in Invercargill has its very own resident spectre, much like its Auckland-based namesake. The theatre is quite the iconic landmark in Invercargill. It is privileged to have been given a Heritage New Zealand Category I listing, indicating that it is a building of national significance and worthy of preservation. Initially called The Invercargill Town Hall, the theatre, designed by local architect E. R. Wilson (1871–1941)was built in 1906 to replace the city’s Royal Theatre, which closed in 1902.
In 1930, the name was changed to The Civic Theatre.
Some big names in music and theatre have trodden the stage floorboards in its time. NZ music legends Split Enz have played there, as have Vera Lynn and Billy Connolly, to name a few.
It was initially a two-storey Edwardian Neo-Baroque building, but it underwent numerous reconstructions and additions over the decades. In 1981, for example, the entire middle section was demolished to make way for a new staircase and direct dress-circle access to the enlarged Victoria Hall.
The theatre suffered structural damage after an earthquake in the late 1970s. Discussions began about whether it needed to be strengthened or demolished.
When the theatre opened, it seated up to 1,350 patrons; today, after extensive refurbishments in 2004 and 2005, it seats a few fewer, at 1,015 patrons.
Like many other buildings of this ilk, The Civic in Invercargill has stories of a phantom resident. His name is Freddy, and he occasionally makes himself known to staff and visitors.
Even the 2005 renovation restoration booklet mentions Freddy. The “benign ghost.”
One report states that during a theatre tour, all present witnessed the thick, heavy ropes on the theatrical rigging system used for curtain drops and raises sway as scene changes began.
One in attendance stated, ”They had been completely still, with no doors open, and too heavy to do that alone. The guide then told us the site was once a pub, and water came right up to them. A man staggered out of the pub and drowned there”.
The man is now thought to frequent the theatre. Is it possible that the situation in which he died has hindered his ability to move on and leave the building?
The mysterious Freddy is described as a man wearing a black coat who is often seen sitting in the stall seats.
I hear the last “Freddy” sighting was during the 2015 Invercargill Musical Theatre’s Phantom of the Opera production when he was spotted up on stage and hanging around the Phantom’s chair.
He hasn’t been seen for quite a while now, though, causing some to consider he may have finally moved on. Some feel he may have shifted abodes and now frequents the Dunedin Theatre.
A similar ghostly figure fitting Freddy’s description has been sighted there recently.