Story: Plays and playwrights

James K. Baxter festival, 1973

This hand-drawn poster by Colin McCahon announces a festival of four of James K. Baxter's plays at Otago University in 1973. The note at lower right says, 'This poster is based on a drawing for "Oedipus": is a scale drawing of the university theatre stage where I'm working. It's drawn over one of the many drawings I made – & reconsidered as I drew, & got to know Jim's plays.'

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: Eph-D-DRAMA-1973-01

by Colin McCahon

Courtesy of the Colin McCahon Research and Publication Trust

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Murray Edmond, Plays and playwrights – Plays of the mid- and later 20th century, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/ephemera/43949/james-k-baxter-festival-1973 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Murray Edmond, published 16 January 2014.