After 17 years leading Playmarket, Murray Lynch has decided to step down as Tumuaki/Director in December, bringing to a close an extraordinary chapter in the organisation’s history and paving the way for its next phase of leadership.
Murray’s contribution to Playmarket is part of an extraordinary career spanning more than five decades in New Zealand theatre. Before joining Playmarket, he held a range of artistic and leadership roles across many of the country’s major theatre organisations, including Downstage Theatre, Centrepoint Theatre, Theatre Corporate, the Maidment Arts Centre, Tantrum Theatre Company and Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School.
In 2021, Murray was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to theatre.
Playmarket Board Chair Mishelle Muagututi’a said the organisation had been extraordinarily fortunate to have someone of Murray’s experience, knowledge and standing at its helm.
“Murray has been part of professional theatre in New Zealand theatre for more than 50 years. Playmarket has been incredibly fortunate to have his depth of experience, understanding of the sector and practical insight guiding the organisation since 2010.
“What stands out just as much as Murray’s experience is his passion for playwrights and their work. He has worked tirelessly to secure opportunities for established writers and, just as importantly, to nurture new voices finding their way in New Zealand theatre.
“Murray’s contribution goes well beyond what can ever be captured in a job description or a pay packet. You can see it in the writers he has championed, the plays that have reached audiences, and the generations of New Zealanders who have encountered our stories through professional, community, amateur and educational theatre.
“The Board owes Murray an immense debt of gratitude. He leaves Playmarket with a strong team, a clear sense of purpose and a remarkable legacy on which to build.”
Reflecting on his time at Playmarket, Murray said:
“Leading Playmarket as Tumuaki has been a dream role, and one I’ve happily held for seventeen years. I thank all the wonderful staff who I have had the privilege to work with, and the Playmarket Board, which has been a rock of support for me and the organisation.
“I am proud of our achievements championing Aotearoa playwrights. Among the highlights have been the publication of best practice guidelines; dramaturgy training for Māori and Pasifika playwrights; training for those writing in te reo Māori; and most recently, development support for writers with lived experience of disability, neurodiversity, d/Deafness or mental distress.
“I salute the brave individuals who founded Playmarket, a model envied by international playwrights: a unique, one-stop shop that includes agency, advocacy and script development.”
As Murray prepares to step down, Playmarket’s Board has adopted a succession plan that builds on the organisation’s strong foundations and establishes a new co-leadership model. From 2027, Shane Bosher and Jason Te Kare (Ngāti Maniopoto and Waikato Iwi) will guide the organisation in its next chapter, as Kaihautū Putahi (Agency Leader) and Kaihautū Whanake (Leader of Development), respectively. This planned transition recognises Playmarket’s evolving needs while ensuring continuity and supporting the organisation’s future development.
Murray said, “Playmarket continues to be the backbone of playwriting in Aotearoa, and I am excited for the future of the organisation under its new leadership model.”
Murray Lynch’s final day as Director (Tumuaki) will be 22 December 2026.
The Board wishes Murray all the best for his next chapter and looks forward to his continued contribution to theatre in Aotearoa.
He toi whakairo, he mana tangata.
Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity.
For the Board, the whakataukī reflects something at the heart of Murray’s contribution: a career devoted not only to the art of theatre, but to the writers, artists and communities who bring that art to life.
About Playmarket
Playmarket is Aotearoa New Zealand’s playwrights’ agency and script development organisation. It represents playwrights, licenses New Zealand plays for performance, and supports the development of new writing for theatre. Its work connects playwrights and their stories with professional, community and amateur theatres, and schools and educational settings in Aotearoa and beyond.
