Editing Ngaio Marsh (section)

==Theatre==
[[File:Ashburton Repertory Society production of The Last Hour. 04.2003.0035 (cropped).jpg|thumb|1940 [[Ashburton, New Zealand|Ashburton]] Repertory Society production of ''[[The Last Hour (play)|The Last Hour]]'' by [[Charles Bennett (screenwriter)|Charles Bennett]], produced by Ngaio Marsh (third from left)]]
Marsh's great passion was the theatre.<ref name="CR"/> In 1942 she produced a modern-dress ''[[Hamlet]]'' for the [[Canterbury University College Drama Society]] (now University of Canterbury Dramatic Society Incorporated or Dramasoc<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/Dramasoc |title=Dramasoc – Christchurch, New Zealand – Company |publisher=Facebook.com |access-date=3 June 2015}}</ref>), the first of many Shakespearean productions with the society until 1969. In 1944, ''Hamlet'' and a production of ''[[Othello]]'' toured a theatre-starved New Zealand to rapturous acclaim. In 1949, assisted by entrepreneur Dan O'Connor, her student players toured Australia with a new version of ''Othello'' and [[Luigi Pirandello|Pirandello's]] ''[[Six Characters in Search of an Author]]''. In the 1950s she was involved with the [[New Zealand Players]], a relatively short-lived national professional touring repertory company. In 1972 she was invited by the Christchurch City Council to direct Shakespeare's ''Henry V'', the inaugural production for the opening of the newly constructed James Hay Theatre in Christchurch; she made the unusual choice of casting two male leads, who alternated on different nights.

She lived to see New Zealand develop a viable professional theatre industry having realistic [[Arts Council of Great Britain|Arts Council]] support, with many of her protégés to the forefront. The 430-seat [[Ngaio Marsh Theatre]] at the [[University of Canterbury]] is named in her honour.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ucsa.org.nz/commercial-services/ngaio-marsh-theatre/ |title=Ngaio Marsh Theatre |website=www.ucsa.org.nz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927015111/http://www.ucsa.org.nz/commercial-services/ngaio-marsh-theatre/ |archive-date=27 September 2011}}</ref>