Remarkable Theatre brings 'Sitcoms' to Queenstown Gardens

Attending the Remarkable Theatre's garden show this weekend will be like flicking through TV channels playing all the "most iconic" American comedies, show director Victoria Keating says.

This year is the local theatre company's 15th rendition of it popular outdoor show, to be held in the Queenstown Botanic Gardens with a cast of 25 actors.

Ms Keating says the audience can expect to see their favourite scenes from I Love Lucy, Friends, M.A.S.H, SNL, Cheers, Seinfeld, Get Smart and many more, live in the open air.

Some of the cast of 'Sitcom': Aoife McMahon (The Mary Tyler Moore Show), Fiona Bracken (SNL), Phena Byrne (I Love Lucy), Bridget Taylor (M.A.S.H), Victoria Gray Mills (the TV guide) (Image: Supplied).

"It'll be a walk down memory lane. It's nostalgic for quite a lot of people," Ms Keating says.

Actors and the audience will move from scene to scene, utilising different spots in the gardens as well as features like park benches and the band rotunda, for each of the three to 10-minute skits.

"We had our first full run through and we were cracking up all the way through it," Ms Keating says.

She's been involved in 10 of those 15 garden shows, and says it's become a "staple in Queenstown's summer calendar".

Since Remarkable Theatre Company first started using the gardens a decade-and-a-half ago, Ms Keating has noticed the outdoor area has been used for an increasing number of local events, such as LUMA and Mana Tāhuna's Waitangi Day celebrations.

There are six theatre shows across this weekend, starting with Friday (February 16) at 6pm, then three shows each on Saturday (February 17) and Sunday (February 18) at 2pm, 4pm and 6pm.

Main image (Supplied): Some of the show's cast (from left to right), Sophie Kennedy (Cheers), Rebeca Barnes (SNL), Melanie Grindell (Roseanne), and Lars Wyatt (Friends).