Robyn Peers – taking a final bow A ssociate Director of Drama Robyn Peers and her eldest
interest in architecture, working for the Open Christchurch initiative, enabling people to access architectural gems. She has hosted visitors to both Christ’s College and the Arts Centre in the past four years. Working part-time at College in the early days, Robyn also juggled work at the Design and Arts College, the University of Canterbury, and The Press – “a portmanteau career which
Headmaster Rob Zordan saw the need to take a more academic focus. College always had talented drama enthusiasts like Joe Bennett, Joss Williams, Peter Hewson, John Boardman, and Mike O’Brien, who had produced shows for many years, but with the appointment of the first Director of Drama, David Chambers, in 1998, Drama was introduced to the school curriculum.” Robyn forged a creative working
son, Alastair, started at Christ’s College on the same day. That was back in 1993. “We were straight off the plane from a holiday in Italy,” she recalls. “I’d been appointed as a History of Art teacher and Alastair was beginning in Year 9.” Robyn’s lengthy career concluded in December 2022, when she retired to pursue “reading, gardening, socialising, the arts, and taking my tent up to the Coromandel to quietly sit near a beach for two months”.
relationship with David in the classroom and throughout many co- curricular productions.
Her production highlights include involvement in Les Misérables, West Side Story , and Evita, directing Treasure Island, Doctor Faustus, The Arsonists , and Oedipus Rex,
Christchurch-born and bred, she studied to be a primary school teacher. However, in 1976, and with the completion of her Master of Arts (with a specialist interest in architecture, particularly modern architecture in Canterbury), Robyn won
and working with senior boys on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority Scholarship programme. Robyn has found that a big part of the enjoyment of teaching is watching so many talented young men grow in confidence and ability. “Our Drama Department, now under the direction of Hannah Clarkson, allows a wide range of abilities to flourish,” she says. “It is tremendously satisfying seeing how these young men use their drama skills in a wide variety of careers.” Her son, John, is one of several College Old Boys now using those skills as a Drama teacher.
continued for about eight years”. Eventually, she moved into a full-time role, devoting herself to College by teaching Art History and Religious Education, and dipping into the world of drama. “I had always been interested and involved in that world – helping with make-up, set creation, and production management – so a few years later, when they needed another Drama teacher, I began teaching classroom Drama,” she says. “Drama was really growing.
a job teaching Art History at St Margaret’s College. That was her entrée to secondary school teaching, which subsequently led to a year at Christchurch Girls’ High School and five years at
Shirley Boys’ High School. Robyn was involved in the
development of Art History in secondary schools, overseeing the roll-out of NCEA programmes. She retains an interest in that area as part of the subject expert group reviewing achievement standards. She also retains an
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