Bruce Mason Centre

Thanks to the Bruce Mason Center, the North Shore gets to have a slice of the Auckland performing arts pie!
This multi-​purpose built venue may not be on par with the heritage theatre buildings in downtown Auckland, but it isn’t without uniqueness. The Center is associated with New Zealand’s most prominent playwright, Bruce Edward George Mason and home to some of his memorabilia which are on display in the main foyer.
The Bruce Mason Centre offers hassle-​free parking with direct access to the venue and there’s plenty of nearby options for pre-​concert drinks or dining.
So in the realm of performing arts, one can break a leg on both sides of the Harbour bridge!!!

The Bruce Mason Centre is the North Shore’s main performance arts centre. It regularly hosts a range of shows, from orchestral, ballet, comedy and more. It’s a very comfortable theatre with a good bar. Box office is just to the right as you walk through the main entrance.
If you are fussy about the quality of the acoustics for a musical event, the acoustics are not as good as the Town Hall. But if you are a Shore-​ite, its worthwhile keeping an eye on what’s happening at the BMC.
Although there is a Wilson carpark on site, there are limited free carparks (varying from 120−180mins), on some side streets, but you do have to walk a short distance to get to the theatre.

Ahhh the ol’ Bruce Mason! I remember when it first opened. We were absolutely chuffed to finally had a decent sized theatre on the North Shore. Since then I reckons it’s gone from strength to strength. It’s not the prettiest theatre i’ve seen but it now gets many of the same shows as the Aotea Centre and in my opinion, it’s a much better size — literally no matter where you’re sitting you get a good view.
There’s also a decent bar and Daikoku is right next door — who doesn’t love Teppanyaki!

A pretty impressive place in Takapuna I’d say. From the outside you wouldn’t know such an awesome theatre sits inside.
As a performer I’d say it’s an awesome venue because it has a nice big stage, with a flooring that is perfect to dance on. The backstage area is roomy and equipped, there’s a ton of changing rooms, a quality green room, awesome lit up mirrors and lots of toilets.
From a spectators point of view I’d say it’s a great venue because the tiered seating is awesome and you get a great view of the stage from wherever you’re sitting. Also, there are so many quality restaurants, bars and cafes next door you can really make an occasion out of a night here. I don’t actually think parking’s that bad. I’ve been here about 60 time in the last 10 years (I just did a count in my head) and I’ve never really struggled to find a park.
The only negative thing I’d say is that I was actually here last night and I was so cold! The air conditioning was a bit excessive and my toes were cold little piggies. But wear covered shoes and a jumper and you will be sweet!

Well aside from parking, which is really quite bad, Bruce Mason has a huge, enveloping function hall fit for a great night of concerts, theatre or conferences. I attended the NZ Christian Film Festival here, and they had great facilities to make this happen — good sound and projection gear, plenty of seating and a huge curtain to utilise for a dramatic performance.
There’s a café and drinks bar there, though nothing to quench your appetite if you missed dinner (mostly cake or nibbles for the performance or meeting you’re attending). So have dinner first, then enjoy some drinks during the intermission.

The Bruce Mason is my local venue. I have been coming here for many year, for many different reasons and I still love it.
During my youngers years I performed end of year dance shows here which were always enjoyable. My older sister now runs the same dance school and still uses the Bruce Mason. I have also been to some pretty intense concerts here, which shows the venue’s diverse uses.
As a patron, I can say that it is large, roomy, has great air conditioning and a large lobby area. There is a bar which also sells ice creams and lovely seated areas both inside and out.
There isn’t a bad seat in the house, and because it’s not too big, the environment during a show is great.
If you are looking to use the venue, the backstage area is also fantastic. There is heaps of room for costume changes, performers, props and storage.
The Bruce Mason also has a great set of staff for you to use as stage and sound crew, all of whom are professional and lovely.
Plus, it’s right in the middle of great Takapuna bars, restaurants and the beach.

The Bruce Mason has been round a wee while now, but even as a Shore native I’ve just never loved it all that much. I think it’s the architecture — it’s anonymous and shy, hiding away off Hurstmere Road. There’s nothing from the street to suggest that the slabby walls actually house the centre for performing arts and entertainment on the Shore! I’ve just never felt a particular sense of occasion around any event here and that’s important to me. Still, there’s nothing wrong with the theatre itself — it’s a good size, comfortable, and every seat has a great view of the stage — it’s acoustically decent too. They do seem to be able to pull decent acts here every so often too whether it’s music, comedy or theatre.