The first production in Mount Aspiring College’s (MAC) new Black Box theatre space is a thought-provoking comedy by year 12 drama students.

The new theatre is part of a major redevelopment of the college’s Plantation Road campus, and school board chair Dr Ian Hall described it “as good as any in the country”.

MAC head of arts Emily McRae said the students want members of the community to see the new theatre in action.

The play, ‘2b or nt 2b’, features famous characters from equally famous plays, united by exploring the context of Hamlet's famous soliloquy “to be or not to be”.

The characters are all 17-year-olds with little in common except the title question. 

Sitting alone in their rooms, sure they have the most tragic life ever, they end up finding each other in an online chat room.

“The significant catalyst for finding hope is that they are no longer alone even if they do compete for who has the most tragic life,” Emily said. 

Emily said while the tongue-in-cheek script hopes to find light and laughs, the content is recommended for those older than 15. 

“This work is for youth and we hope to see many of the student's peers walk through the door but equally, it is for all of our community whānau to help build a bridge in the conversations we are having with our young people in these very unsettled times,” she said.

The audience is invited to a Q and A session immediately after the show, to ‘unpack’ and further understand the themes and ideas.

The show will be held on Tuesday September 20 and Wednesday September 21 from 7pm in the Black Box Theatre. 

Tickets are $10 and online at Eventfinda.

PHOTO: Supplied