The Ngaio Marsh theatre was named in honour of Dame Ngaio Marsh, who was a director and patron of theatre, especially Shakespeare, at the University between 1942 and 1969, and indeed the theatre's opening production — Shakespeare's Twelfth Night — was directed by Marsh in 1967.

[2] The theatre was extensively damaged during the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, and was subsequently demolished in October 2016.

[citation needed] The rebuilt theatre, within Haere-roa, the University of Canterbury Students’ Association building at 90 Ilam Road in Christchurch, New Zealand, was officially opened on 2 August 2019.

The opening involved a student production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, chosen because actor and honorary alumnus Sam Neill had appeared in a production directed by Ngaio Marsh in 1969.

Full AV and technical facilities and orchestra pit are available.