Last updated November 2026
On the bank of the Taylor River in Blenheim, a 700-seat auditorium gives Marlborough a purpose-built home for the performing arts. Whitehaven Theatre Marlborough, known as ASB Theatre until a wine company took over the naming rights, stands on Hutcheson Street beside the Marlborough Events Centre.
Inside are the main auditorium, a smaller flexible theatre, a function room overlooking the river and an open foyer that links them. The Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust, a charitable trust formed to give the region a new theatre, runs the venue. Alongside major productions, it hosts conferences, corporate functions and school events.
Practical Information
- Address
- 2 Hutcheson Street, Blenheim
- Box office
- Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm, and one hour before every performance; closed weekends and holidays
- Entry
- Tickets for each show; see Whitehaven Theatre’s website for what’s on
- Main auditorium
- McLauchlan Family Auditorium, 700 seats
- Run by
- Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust
- Phone
- 03 520 8558
- Status
- Check the Whitehaven Theatre website before you go.
About Whitehaven Theatre Marlborough
The theatre is the result of a long campaign. The Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust was formed as a charitable trust on 16 November 1974, after His Majesty’s Theatre was demolished, with the aim of building a new theatre for the Marlborough community.
For more than three decades the trust’s home was the Marlborough Civic Theatre, set up in the former Farmers department store on Arthur Street and later known as the FloorPride Civic Theatre. It served as the region’s hub for arts and entertainment until the new building replaced it.
The new theatre opened on 16 March 2016 as ASB Theatre Marlborough, and opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa gave a concert there during its opening month. The venue changed its name in 2026 when the Whitehaven Wine Company took over the naming rights, and it is now Whitehaven Theatre Marlborough.
The Building and Its Spaces
The centrepiece is the McLauchlan Family Auditorium, which the theatre describes as a 700-seat purpose-built lyric theatre with split-level seating.
The Anderson Theatre is a smaller, flexible black box space for intimate concerts and gatherings, and the Whitehaven Wine Room overlooks the Taylor River, with a removable wall that opens it onto the main foyer. The foyer connects all three spaces and is also used for exhibitions, presentations and dinners.
The Marlborough Events Centre next door, which the trust manages on behalf of Marlborough District Council, can be used as one large hall or split into three rooms. Between them, the theatre and events centre can host conferences of up to 500 people.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Whitehaven Theatre?
At 2 Hutcheson Street, Blenheim, beside the Taylor River and next to the Marlborough Events Centre.
Is it the same venue as ASB Theatre?
Yes. It opened as ASB Theatre Marlborough and was renamed Whitehaven Theatre when the Whitehaven Wine Company took over the naming rights.
How many seats does the main auditorium have?
The McLauchlan Family Auditorium has 700 seats.
When did the theatre open?
On 16 March 2016. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa gave a concert there in its opening month.
Who runs the theatre?
The Marlborough Civic Theatre Trust, a charitable trust formed in 1974 to build a new theatre for Marlborough.
When is the box office open?
Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm, and one hour before every performance. It is closed on weekends and holidays.
Where did Blenheim go to the theatre before?
For more than three decades, to the Marlborough Civic Theatre in the former Farmers department store on Arthur Street. Before that came His Majesty’s Theatre, whose demolition led to the trust being formed in 1974.
Spotted something incorrect on this page? Let us know.
Related links 2
- Whitehaven Theatre Marlborough: About Us: the trust’s history, from His Majesty’s Theatre to the new building.
- Whitehaven Theatre Marlborough: Venues: the auditorium, Anderson Theatre, Wine Room, foyer and events centre.