The Fire Service says the stage of a theatre in central Auckland has been badly damaged by fire.
Up to 60 fire fighters battled the blaze at its peak at the Maidment Theatre at Auckland University, next to the university's union complex on Princes Street.
The 30 people in the theatre when the fire started all got out of the building uninjured.
The incident commander at the scene, Roger Callister, says the smoke was so thick firefighters could only see 10 centimetres in front of them.
He says the theatre will be unusable for the near future.
The Auckland Theatre Company's production of Midnight in Moscow was due to open on 11 April.
Student Ghazal Abdulahe says it was frightening how quickly smoke started to billow out of the building.
She says the smoke went all over the quad area, which was evacuated.
The Fire Service says it looks like the blaze started accidentally when a curtain caught fire.
