Jekyll & Hyde
19 March – 16 April
Circa Two

 

If you’re yet to get your sexy French fix, you still have until 16 April to let Jekyll & Hyde satisfy your darkest urges at Circa Two.

Critics and audiences alike have been singing the praises of this “high-octane, overly-charged show that defies many conventions of theatre.” – Ewen Coleman, The Dominion Post

 

“A black comedy of laugh out loud proportions” – Sheridan Bruce, Wotzon

 

 

“…80-odd minutes of stimulating theatre presented with refreshing panache.” – John Smythe, Theatreview

 

 

“[The cast] are astronomically talented performers. Blair Godby’s sound design was so brilliant I think he might be an actual wizard. This was the most fun I have ever had at the theatre.” – Madelaine Empson, Regional News

 

“Joyful, positive, sexy, hilarious and clever. I wish I could stay for hours.” – Hannah Banks, The Pantograph Punch

Will you be part of the sexiest Jekyll & Hyde audience yet?

STARRING: Susie Berry, Jack Buchanan, Andrew Paterson, Jonathan Price, Hayley Sproull

 

Jekyll & Hyde runs from 19 March to 16 April in Circa Two. To book, visit www.circa.co.nz or call the Circa Box Office on 04 801 7992.

Linda Wilson reminisces about her time with the original production of Joyful & Triumphant. 

Whenever I’m giving a tour of Circa Theatre I’m often asked what my favourite production has been. The answer is easy: Joyful & Triumphant, which I worked on as Stage Manager, and which took over 5 years of my life from 1992-97. I’m delighted that it’s being re-produced to celebrate Circa’s 40^th Birthday.

Earlier this week I watched the DVDs that Bruce Phillips (Ted Bishop) made of the various seasons and tours of that time, and it was lovely to see how gorgeous everyone looked and how cute the children were – my Nina, Jane’s Richard, Grant’s Sasha, Cathy’s Sam, Michele’s Florence, and my baby Maisie who was 8 months old on the London part of the tour. She is now 19 and works at the Box Office in between her studies.

I remember first reading the script on holiday in the Coromandel when it was still called ‘A Family Christmas’ – it was Ginette McDonald who came up with the final title – and I was captivated by the writing. It’s a perfect piece, spanning 40 years in a single Christmas day around a dining-room table. The room is decorated, the table set, the dinner served, then the pudding, and the dishes and decorations all put away. It was quite a business gathering together the over 200 props required.

Grant was the designer (as well as playing a sublime George Bishop) and he & I, in consultation with our wonderful director, Sue Wilson, decided that we would use Willow Pattern as it was used in Grant’s naughty drawing for the poster of Robert Lord’s China Wars. (A copy of the poster will be on display in foyer throughout April). So it is my china which once again graces the set. Grant provided several of the props himself, including the green Beswick vase – once again on loan from Ruth Jeffery, as is the copy of Percy Piwaka’s Christmas by Rose Bishop (designed by Torben Tilly). Dorothy McKegg loaned her cutlery, Christmas napkins and cruet set. A fresh leg of pork was roasted once a week, then reheated each performance to give the wonderful smell as the dinner was brought in, along with roast veggies, peas, gravy and a lovely big salad with tomato roses and sliced egg on top. None of it was eaten, but all cleared away at interval to make way for the pudding.

 

 

When we toured New Zealand everything was loaded into a truck – table, chairs, sideboard, Christmas tree, window seat, radiogram & props, and even all the lights. Travelling overseas was a bit different. We tried to source the larger pieces there, but we did take the window seat (made by Grant), which I have kept, and which stores my Christmas decorations. It’s being used again this time.

In London I bought a basket for the leg of lamb that Alice offers for one Christmas dinner from a little antique shop in Islington. Afterwards I carried it back to NZ on the plane along with 8 month old Maisie, and all her paraphernalia. This basket also makes an appearance, and I was delighted to see a similar one being used in one of the period Murder Mysteries on Sunday night TV (an Agatha Christie, I think it was).

I regretfully declined stage-managing this time around – too busy Box Office managing – but the task is in the very capable hands of Deb McGuire, and I know what she and the cast will be going through preparing and serving and cleaning up a Christmas dinner every day for the next 5 weeks. Good luck and best wishes to everyone!

Three Actors return as cast members, this time playing different roles, in Joyful & Triumphant – together with their original scripts!    Jane Waddell, Catherine Downes, Michele Amas

 

How do you feel about being back working together on Joyful & Triumphant?

JANE
It’s a privilege to be working on this marvellous script again with Michele and Cath – and of course, our director, Susan Wilson. The premiere was a bitter-sweet experience as Robert died just prior to the beginning of rehearsals. His presence was almost palpable as we worked to bring his final and finest work to life. It was a very special production and it had a long life after the initial season at Circa’s original Harris Street premises. We toured the play around New Zealand, we played seasons in Sydney, Adelaide and London before returning to Circa for a final season in 1997.

CATHERINE
Very privileged – and it’s fun!

MICHELE
It is such a rare thing to be able to work on a production again 25 years after its first season and to share that with some of the original cast members is really special. Loving it.

 

You are of course playing different roles this time, since the previous production was in 1992, Is it a temptation to play your current roles similar to how it was done the first time by the original actors?

JANE
I played the hapless Rose in the premiere production. Her journey through the decades is beautifully charted – as are the journeys of each character. This time, I’ve moved up a generation, along with Michele and Cath. I play Mum – Lyla Bishop and although I could hear Judie Douglass’s voice in the first couple of weeks of rehearsal, I’m now at the point where I’m making the role my own.

CATHERINE
No. I loved Dottie McKegg very much and I hear her voice loudly in my heart – ‘You are a beautiful actress darling Cathy and must you must create your own Alice.  No, No, No, darling! Do it new.’

MICHELE
Its impossible not to hear the tone and delivery of the previous actor’s performance as we performed the show over 200 times. But it’s like revisiting a long lost friend. The idea is to create your own version of the role but it can’t help but be layered with echoes from its inception that’s for sure.

What was the most memorable moments during the last production?

JANE
I have many memories of touring –  I recall an incident in Adelaide when Grant, who played Dad and also designed the set, was up a ladder adjusting the picture rail – he came down from the ladder, took a step backwards to check his handiwork and fell off the stage. He was carted off to hospital in an ambulance without any of us knowing what kind of injuries he’d sustained. He arrived back at theatre in time for our opening performance, in a wheelchair – but right on cue, he made his first entrance (on his feet) and turned in a bravura performance. He was such a trouper.

I also remember Dottie McKegg and Judie Douglass in the dressing room – they were always early to the theatre. Dottie would be sitting at her place, dressed and made up, including her hat, smoking a cigarette and doing a crossword. She used to look at Cath and Michele and me and say – ‘Oh you young things, with your lovely firm arms!’ That’ll be my line this time round!

CATHERINE
Dottie McKegg’s Alice!!

MICHELE  
Being part of the Bishop family, touring around the country and overseas.  The best thing for me was the way the play expanded and took off in ways we could never have imagined. When we realised how popular it was, we knew we were working on a classic that would run and run and would never date- that was thrilling

 

It must be exciting re-visiting this work and to be working together again but also with new cast members.

JANE 
It’s a joy to be playing opposite Peter Hambleton, as George Bishop, the patriarch. It’s also a great pleasure to be working with Gavin again – in a straight role, rather than as the Panto Dame, in which he is, of course splendid. But he’s such a fine ‘straight’ actor and I’m delighted he’s playing my slightly shifty son. Kathy McCrae is a fantastically truthful Brenda, my daughter-in-law. I never meet my granddaughter, Raewyn – this time played by the very accomplished Lyndee-Jane Rutherford. And of course, it’s an absolute pleasure to have the impeccable Michele Amas as my daughter, Rose, this time round – and Catherine Downes as my irrepressible neighbour, Alice Warner.

CATHERINE
Yes. Loving the new creativity and the profound heritage we have shared, and are sharing again.

MICHELE
It must be scary for the new cast members to fit into the Bishop household. Hopefully the original inhabitants are generous enough to allow for fresh interpretations and room at the table for Christmas dinner – (and we are)

 

Why is it that you are doing this play again?

JANE
Who would say no to the opportunity to be a part of this timeless play about us – with another exceptional cast.

CATHERINE                                                                                                                                  
It’s a bloody good play with very rewarding roles!

MICHELE
This play sold out when we first did it, what it says about the New Zealand family on a social, political and historical level is pure gold. Robert Lords insight into what makes us tick is excruciatingly accurate. And it’s really, really funny. That dry kiwi sense of humour is laced throughout the play and is instantly recognisable 

Jekyll & Hyde opens at Circa Two next week in time to heat up the fast approaching Autumn evenings. Five French clowns will be seducing your inner Hyde out to play. Here they reveal their most evil moments in a scandalous game of who dunnit.

A truly guilt-ridden culprit takes us back to their childhood horror of breaking their best friend’s beloved toy bat. The evidence was quickly disposed of in a moment of sheer panic, only to be discovered later on accompanied with a spectacular display of tears and hysteria. We recommend keeping your treasured possessions and dignity at home if you wish for them to remain even remotely intact and will not be held responsible for any erratic behaviour post-show.

Sausage rolls and chocolate milk led to the moral corruption of one sweet toothed offender. Not only did this vice result in increased dentist trips, but it was funded through semi-regularly stealing their parents’ change while packed lunches were merely fed to the rubbish bin. Nothing gets past the watchful eyes of a parent though, so a cold dish of revenge is likely to have been brewing away for years. Don’t say I didn’t warm you.

Pitiless sinner number three will not be offering you a helping hand anytime soon. After witnessing a cyclist fall off their bicycle in the middle of the road, they chose to walk on by, let the struggling continue and the potential impending doom from oncoming vehicles play out. Consider this a sympathy-free zone.

In a moment of hot passion one of our feistier cast members took the opportune moment at a friend’s party to sneak off to a younger sibling’s room and not quite satisfied with breaking boundaries, kicked a hole through the wall. When questioned we were informed it was an upside-down affair with limbs in every direction.

Another sticky situation arose after an alter-ego put a half-eaten ice cream into an unsuspecting stranger’s letterbox on a very warm summer’s day.

If this brings back any anger-inducing recollections, please remain calm for the time being and come to Circa Two on 19 March to let your rage explode and the sparks fly.

STARRING: Susie Berry, Jack Buchanan, Andrew Paterson, Jonathan Price and Hayley Sproull

Jekyll & Hyde runs from 19 March to 16 April in Circa Two. To book, visit www.circa.co.nz or call the Circa Box Office on 04 801 7992.

Circa Theatre is delighted to be hosting Anthony McCarten as we celebrate and remember such productions as Yellow Canary Mazurka, Via Satellite, Weed and F.I.L.T.H.

Fun Facts 

• Anthony was born and raised in New Plymouth, New Zealand.
• Worked as a reporter for a couple of years on The Taranaki Herald
• Has an Arts Degree at Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington
• Studied creative writing with Bill Manhire.
• In 2015, he was inducted as a Literary Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Authors.

 

Achievements

• Double Academy Award nominated and double BAFTA winning screenwriter and film producer of the film The Theory Of Everything
• His play, Ladies Night has been translated into 12 languages. It remains New Zealand’s most commercially successful play of all time,
• In 2001, Ladies Night won France’s premiere theatre award for comedy, the Molière Prize.

 

Novels

• His first novel, Spinners was voted one of the top ten novels of that year by Esquire
• His third novel, Death Of A Superhero, won the 2008 Austrian Youth Literature Prize and was a finalist for the 2008 German Youth Literature Prize.
• The sequel novel to this story, In The Absence Of Heroes was published in 2012, and was a finalist for the 2013 New Zealand Fiction Prize and was long listed for the 2014 Dublin International IMPAC Literary Award.
• In 2013 he wrote Brilliance, the story of Thomas Edison and his friendship with the giant of the late nineteenth-century financial world, J.P.Morgan.
• In 2005, McCarten adapted his second novel, The English Harem, for the screen.
• His fourth novel Show Of Hands, was published in Europe and in the US in 2009.
• Nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the New Zealand Film Awards for Show of Hands.

 

Film

• In 2011, his adaptation of his own novel Death Of A Superhero had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival,
• Death Of A Superhero won the 2011 Les Arcs European Film Festival Audience Choice Prize and Young Jury Prize, and the Audience Award and ‘Special Mention’ of the Jury at the Mamer-en-Mars European Film Festival.
• US premiere of Death Of A Superhero in 2012 at the Tribeca Film Festival.
• Via Satellite, which he adapted from his own stage play, and directed himself, was invited to several film festivals including London, Cannes, Toronto, Melbourne, Hawaii and Seattle.

 

The brave and adventurous of all ages will love Waves. Discover a tall tale of a girl at sea, in this enchanting evening of theatre.

We know it as the “butterfly stroke” but to Elizabeth Moncello growing up on Australia’s Gabo Island in the 1930s it was the “dolphin”.

So reveals Alice Mary Cooper, who with highly expressive storytelling brings us the unofficial history of how Liz invented the butterfly/dolphin with the help of fish, penguins and other aquatic friends.

Waves is about a lonely girl finding the courage to do something astonishing. It is funny, moving, and equally absorbing for children and adults.

Presented in association with Auckland Arts Festival.

 

 

Another premiere for Waves – this time in New Zealand.  On this trip, you play the iconic beachside communities of Piha and Otaki. Where’s the most interesting and/or challenging place you have staged Waves?

The Isle of Coll.  It’s a beautiful little remote island of about 200 inhabitants off the west coast of Scotland. It required some serious logistics to get there with our stuff and we had to schedule a rest day after the show day, because the ferries were on a winter timetable and only ran three times a week. Not that it was tough having a rest day on Coll. It’s a beautiful place and I could have stayed much longer.

Will you take a dip beforehand? Reading your blog it appears as if swimming is actually part of your “training” regime forWaves.

I hope to! I always try to fit in a dip wherever I perform. It’s often a bit tricky on tour as you are frequently in places for less than a day but certainly if I’m near a beach or a pool [or within a reasonable detour-able distance] I will work out a way of getting there.

Is the technique behind land swimming, similar to learning to play air guitar?

I had never thought of that before but, yes, I imagine it is in the way that both require you to take a big leap of imagination and engage fully with the missing element (guitar or water in this case). I say this having never actually played air guitar before.

Has the show evolved over time and if so in what way?

Yes in lots of ways, though the main story itself hasn’t changed much. The first shows of Waves were in a tent at a storytelling festival and then in a tiny attic as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. Neither of these venues had sound or lighting equipment – just a single bulb above a small playing space – so, technically it had to be very lo-fi- just me, a cricket ball and a chair. Since then, I have had the opportunity to perform in equipped venues, and thus been able to add sound and lighting, which add new textures to the show. Danny Krass has made a beautiful soundtrack that really helps tell the story in clearer, more interesting ways and allows me to play more too. Bringing a director, Gill Robertson, on board has made everything more precise – the movement, the characters, the story, the rhythm. Playing in lots of different spaces, in front of many different audiences over the past few years – some young, some older, some mixed – has naturally led me to change my performance. For example, I find when there are more children in the audience and they are laughing a lot, I tend to extend moments or looks, for example when I become a fish, because I can see they are enjoying it and I am enjoying seeing them enjoy it. This is, in some way the joy of being alone on stage, in that you can be open to adapting your performance for the people who are in front of you.

Is there really a swimming pool called Fanny Durack?

Yes there is and it’s great. It’s an outdoor pool in the middle of a park in Sydney, close to where I used to live. It’s also near one called The Annette Kellerman – another idol of mine!

How many productions do you normally have on the go?

Usually two. I’m often thinking about another one or two but they are usually in the “dream stage” and a long way off any kind of production. It’s bit of a slow burn for me, making a show.

 

Waves plays the New Zealand Festival (26 Feb-20 March 2015), festival.co.nz, and Auckland Arts Festival (2-20 March 2015), aucklandfestival.co.nz.

 – Sunday Star Times

With opening night just around the corner we thought it would only be fair to release a sneak peek at all the hard work the cast and Crew of “The ACB with Honora Lee” were putting in.

BEHIND THE SCENES!

Saturday 20th

Two crucial pieces of AV screen missing. Where are they? Have they been ordered? Have they been cut? Hasty conference with Producer, Stephen Blackburn and Stage Manager/Operator, Deb McGuire. Many phone calls….

Sunday 21st 

Confirmed ETA of missing screen pieces with laser cutter. Crew member misses flight from Auckland. Attempt at AV plotting abandoned. But wait a minute – John Hodgkins and the Blackburn Boys have come to the rescue – it’s a family thing – hole plugging, set painting and lycra stretching – (not that kind of lycra stretching!)

Monday 22nd

Laser cutting for screen and coffee tables arrive as promised.

We plot the lights – Phil Blackburn’s simple, ingenious design. And Jason, our AV designer gets cracking with the animation. (Secretly I’m hating the black floor!)

Tuesday 23rd

Hey – it’s really starting to look like a set and Phil’s lighting looks terrific. But the floor’s still bugging me. I tell Stephen, he agrees that we should try and find some carpet that doesn’t cost anything. (‘Hardy ha,’ as Gran says in the play.)

I zip round to check on Lance’s progress and pick up a piece of the upholstery fabric, so we can get a feel for what could match for a floor covering. Miracolo! He’s already got the couch half done and he says we’ll have it by Thursday. I tell him I’d hug him if I knew him better.

 

Wednesday 24th

Prior to our first full cue to cue Tech – actors, lighting, sound, costume changes and props, I do a quick bit of research to find carpet. We may have something, but it’d better be good, because it’s pricey (i.e. too expensive for our lean mean budget). Stephen and I race off to check it out before we start our Tech – fortunately, the colour’s wrong, so we don’t have to spend money we haven’t got. Peter Hambleton’s volunteered to give us a hand if we need it – we phone him and he’s on the job Pronto!

We get the tech underway – the first time with sound, designed by my partner, John McKay. Technology’s a wonderful thing when it works – and eventually, it starts to sing, with all the elements coming together – Sheila Horton’s understated, beautifully coordinated costumes, the lighting and sound components subtly integrating with the AV, the calm control of Deb McGuire, serene and highly organised – and last but not least, a terrific cast who have come along on this ride into uncharted territory – a world premiere with no template, no reviews from previous productions. We’ve made it from scratch. This is as fresh as it gets.

 

Don’t watch this space – come and see the show – the magic is happening.(Fingers crossed!)

 

P.S. Peter Hambleton got us a great deal on a ‘carpet.’

 

 

The Vivian Hirschfeld season of “The ACB with Honora Lee” opens Saturday 27 Feb, Preview Friday 26 Feb.

 

 

Produced by Footnote New Zealand Dance
Performed by ChoreoCo.
Choreographed by Maria Dabrowska

 

This year is off to a busy and thrilling start for Footnote New Zealand Dance, and it’s about to get even more exciting as we look forward to opening Who Are We Now? at Circa on the 26th of February.

Our annual three-week intensive choreography and movement workshop, Choreolab, wrapped up at the beginning of February. Forty five dancers from all over New Zealand and beyond (Australia and France, to be specific) worked with world-renowned choreographers and movement experts to deepen their understanding of physical expression. From this group, six dancers were invited to continue dancing with Footnote as ChoreoCo: a short-term company who would perform as part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival and Wellington’s Performance Arcade.

 

 

And now the time has come for ChoreoCo 2016 to shine! Six young dancers at a pivotal point in their career join one of New Zealand’s most versatile choreographers, supported by the experience of Aotearoa’s longest-running contemporary dance company. With a show titled Who Are We Now? we thought it only fair to relieve the tension by providing some answers.

 

 

 

 

Quite often, answers lead to more questions. The only way you can truly satisfy your curiosity is to book tickets and come along to witness Who Are We Now? – a dance performance that celebrates life and the vibrancy, levity and joy that abounds when we push through the predictable and connect to something more… surprising.

 

 

Over the course of our creative collaboration, Geoff and I always try to make a quick buck by selling merchandise. It never works.

For our first show, we minted commemorative teaspoons featuring my face and that of Helen Clark. We sold more than a dozen before they had to be recalled. One furious buyer tried to use hers to eat a boiled egg, and the metal was tarnished by the yolk. She insisted on a full refund, so we had to buy her a new egg.

For our second show, Richard Meros Salutes the Southern Man, we minted a new round of spoons. These failed to sell very well at all. We gave them away as Christmas presents to each and every member of our respective families. I still have a box full of them at home.

Geoff feels the Southern Man teaspoon failed because no one wants to look at my face while they’re stirring their cuppa. I feel it failed because the Southern Man would have no reason to use a teaspoon (he takes his tea black and bitter). And once again, quality control was an issue. My aunt was furious when she tried to put my spoon through a hot rinse. My face slid off and clogged her dishwasher.

If there’s one thing Geoff and I do badly it’s learn from our mistakes. So this time, we’ve published. The third (spellchecked) edition of The Young Lover Activity Guide will be available for sale exclusively at Circa during our season. It’s chock a block full of exhaustive research and lovingly interspersed with fun activities like a tricky word-find, a multi-choice quiz and a love maze that leads from Meros to Hillary. It also has a DIY acrostic for Hillary D.R. Clinton. Here’s our one.

How

I

Love

Longing

After

You

Don’t

Regard

Chelsea’s

Lies

I’m

Not

Too

Old

Not yet…

 

Now you try! The Young Lover Activity Guide is your one stop shop for landing the commander in chief of your dreams.

Young Lover Activity Guides are available exclusively at the show.

$15 signed, $20 unsigned.

Yip. That’s right.

The grapes have grown and been turned into wine twice since Charley, Tristan, Emma, Mikey, Sarah and I (Sacha the choreographer) began bringing The Wine Project to life. The grapes have been picked, crushed into juice, fermented and bottled for two vintages since we began and now as we launch into our Circa Theatre season the grapes are growing once again.

It is starting to feel like a few seasons have passed and a few wines have been tasted since we all began creating the intriguing world of The Wine Project. Now finally The Wine Project is matured and ready for Wellington. We began at Urlar Estate, a biodynamic vineyard in the Wairarapa, owned and operated by the divine Davina and Angus Thompson with the help of their gorgeous children. Our first immersive creation period involved camping while dancers learned to drum and musicians learned to dance in the long hours of the summer sunshine as the grapes ripened more each day and The Wine Project characters began to take form.

We thought we’d give you a glimpse of the beginnings of collaboration between the dancers, Emma, Mikey and Sarah and the musicians Tristan and Charley at Urlar Estate (they aren’t nearly so shy with each other now as you’ll see in the show).

 

From there we undertook research and residencies in other hemispheres, sharing music lists and inspirations over the long winter months as the fermenting of the grape juice subsided and the leaves fell off the vines. The concepts started to deepen and soften as the wine drew closer to being bottled. One vintage had passed and The Wine Project, like all good things, needed a little more time. So we returned to Urlar to see the new buds on familiar vines. We plunged vats of crushed grapes at Rippon Estate in Central Otago, we sought answers from Dionysus, the elusive God of Wine and Theatre and slowly but surely The Wine Project too began to ripen and grow full and rich with colour.

Dancer Emma Coppersmith plunges Pinot Noir Grapes at Rippon Estate in Wanaka

It took us a long time to learn to make wine but it was worth it. First we had to develop a village and then we had to fill it with characters who would tend the vines, pick the grapes, stamp them into juice, ferment the juice and entertain themselves in the long wait before bottling. Now we invite you to join us as we make wine, love and village politics.

The flavours have developed from the soil (made of spice), through the grapes (dug up with innocent joy) into the wine (filled with ritual, joy, passion and blood). Below is a little sip of The Wine Project. While you watch, imagine the air is spiced with cinnamon, star anise and coffee beans, the lightest touch of mint and a burst of sunshine.

 

Like Bilbo Baggins, Hillary Clinton / Young Lover went on an unexpected journey last week. It became a film.

Plot wise, it’s the sequel to the stage show – Richard Meros turns up at passport control of a US airport. Homeland Security learns that he’s trying to enter the U.S. to become Hillary Clinton’s Young Lover. He’s frogmarched to an interrogation room where he delivers an extraordinary rendition.

The film is directed by Dean Hewison and supported by the New Zealand Film Commission, the Friedlander Foundation, Park Road Post and Roger Hall. It was shot over four action-packed days at Avalon Film & Television Studios. We ate the most delicious catering imaginable. Arthur got the chance to work with other people for once, and the cast includes Geraldine Brophy, Bree Peters, Phil Grieve, K.C. Kelly and Geoff Pinfield. There’ also a delicious cameo from the original, mysterious, real-life Wellington author Richard Meros.

It will be edited during our season at Circa and released in the US in April this year.

Geoff and Arthur are now looking forward to getting back into the theatre and being in front of an audience that isn’t “pointing things at us. Although if you want to come and point things at us, that’s OK too, but we won’t have to pretend like it’s not happening”.

2016 is a special year for us, as Circa Theatre celebrates 40 years as a champion of New Zealand Theatre.  We are relishing the chance to acknowledge the theatre makers, playwrights, directors and actors that have made our first 40 years such a joy.

The beginning of our year will be remarkably festive, with the New Zealand Festival affording us a chance to premiere Jane Waddell’s adaptation of Kate De Goldi’s much-loved The ACB with Honora Lee.  Kate says, “It’s delightful seeing one’s story take on a life beyond the pages of the book in which it first entered the world… This stage adaptation gives fresh and imaginative life to ‘my’ story and characters – how very fortunate for them, me and the audience!”

We will also play host to the Writer’s Week, Fringe Festival, Comedy Festival, and Kia Mau Festival (previously the Ahi Kaa AK Festival).

Perfectly timed for our actual birthday on 23 April, long-standing Circa Council member Susan Wilson will direct a return season of, arguably, our most successful show; Robert Lord’s Joyful & Triumphant. Those who saw the original production will remember the significance of this work; one of our first plays to tell a truly kiwi story.

We are very excited to welcome Michael Hurst, who will tackle King Lear in his directorial debut at Circa. Our beloved Ray Henwood will take the leading role. This colossal pairing of talent is, I’m sure, going to result in an epic telling of this Shakespearian drama. Timed for the 400^th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, we will also have a reading of Shakespeare’s Will by Canadian playwright Vern Thiessen. This is part of a series of play readings that will take place throughout the year.

Dance features heavily in our 2016 programme, and we are delighted to have Java Dance Theatre, Footnote New Zealand Dance and Okareka Dance Company all performing at Circa this year.

You can read the full programme online, or visit the Theatre to collect the brochure.

Circa has always been focused on the artistry of our theatre makers; so beautifully summed up by Susan Wilson: “Our goal was to dazzle the audience with the sheer excellence of the performance – to present theatre of the highest possible standard – where economy and ingenuity keep costs to a minimum so that the rewards could be equally shared by artists and practitioners.”

For our birthday year, we present you with the best of New Zealand theatre.  We look forward to celebrating it all with you!

Andrew Foster, Co-ordinator, Circa Council

Ray Henwood is of New Zealand’s leading actors, who we are lucky to have regularly on the stage here at Circa Theatre. He currently stars in A Child’s Christmas in Wales, and other memories of childhood; described by Ewen Coleman as the “most engaging and entertaining piece of theatre…” (read the full review in The Dominion Post).

Q. Performing these stories by Dylan Thomas, set in your home town, must be a nostalgic trip down memory lane for you?

Yes, I lived in Swansea where these stories are set.

Q. You came to New Zealand as a young man, but you weren’t an actor then. What was your career in those days?

I was a teacher with a science degree. The professional theatre started in 1965 and I was in the first play at the Downstage theatre restaurant.

Q. Performing a solo show must be exciting but also a bit scary?

They are demanding but I enjoy them.

Q. You have played many different roles in your career. Which is your favourite?

I usually say the one I am playing at the moment. But, truthfully, I have enjoyed and had a wonderful time playing them all.

Q. Your son Dai has made a name for himself as a performer. Could this be the beginning of the Henwood theatre Dynasty?

I am not sure about that but I do have a grandson now and my wife Carolyn took him to see Robin Hood: the Pantomime the other day. He is almost 3 and he loved it.

Q. In the New Year there is rumour that you are going to play one of the Shakespeare biggies? Are we allowed to know what this is?

It is to be announced any minute! Watch this space. I can say though that it will be a magnificent role for me to tackle and I am looking forward to it immensely. [editor’s note – look out for the 2016 programme announcement on 18 December)

Q. Finally – who do you barrack for when watching the rugby – the All Blacks or the Welsh?

Although my grandfather was a welsh international rugby player, after 53 years as a New Zealander I am now an All Black supporter.

A Child’s Christmas in Wales is on until 20 December.  Book on the Circa website or call, ph. 04 801 7992.

Roger Hall’s Robin Hood: The Pantomime opens In Circa One on 21 November.  This week, Julie O’Brien talks with Jonathan about his career, costume changes and corpsing.

Who do you play in Robin Hood?

I play two roles – Rumble and Friar Tuck.

Does it get difficult swapping between the two characters?

Not on stage, but there are some pretty fast costumes changes so I hope I get those right. The great thing about performing with this cast is that most of them have had a lot of experience in panto, so I’m sure if I walked on stage in the wrong costume, someone would help me out… I hope!

What training have you had? 

I currently hold a Bachelor of Applied Arts; Performing Arts (Singing) and a Diploma in Performing Arts (Singing) from Whitireia Performance Centre (2013) and a Certificate in Screen Acting from Wellington Performing Arts Centre (2010).

What have we seen you in?

I performed in Destination Beehive (2014) and Red Riding Hood: The Pantomime (2014) at Circa Theatre.  You also may have been seen me as Eugene in Wellington Musical Theatre’s Grease (2014) and in Wellington Musical Theatre’s Hairspray (2012).  I also performed in Miss Saigon at the Arts Centre, Gold Coast, earlier this year. It’d be interesting to know if anyone saw me in that!

If you weren’t performing, what would you be doing? 

If I wasn’t performing, I would most probably be teaching. I’d love to be a Drama/Social Studies teacher.

What’s a favourite role that you’ve played and why? 

My favourite role I have played would be George Hemi Arapeta in Destination Beehive(2014, Circa Theatre). It was my first professional show and I learnt a lot about being in the theatre and about politics. It was amazing working with Lorae Parry and Pinky Agnew, too. They are both very funny and it was great to see how they worked. Highlight: my character performed a reggae/rap song. It was awesome.

What’s a role that’s you’d love to play and why? 

A role that I would love to play would be ‘Simon/Lola’ in Kinky Boots. The musical is inspiring, beautiful, and has very catchy music.

What are your plans after Robin Hood? 

I am considering studying a postgraduate diploma in teaching through Victoria University, but haven’t committed yet. (Let’s leave this one out, for now ha ha!).

What’s it like doing the Panto?

Brilliant! We are having so much fun. Rehearsals are hilarious and a lot of laughs. It’s taking a lot of discipline to stop myself from corpsing. Hopefully by the time the show comes around, I’ll be used to the jokes and not find them funny anymore… I seriously doubt it, though!

Roger Hall’s Robin Hood: The Pantomime opens 21 November and runs until 9 January.

Ache is well into its season and receiving excellent reviews! Many of the audience and reviewers have commented on the sleek design of set and costume by Ian Harman. Ian talks to us about his process, working on Ache and what else he has coming up.

“The set on this production was incredible. Versatile, stylish, precise. The execution was impeccable and the entire world enchanting.”
–Rosie Cann, Art Murmurs

“…the most stunning feature is the all-wooden set (Ian Harman). It’s beautiful watching Buchanan moving its parts between scenes: the slide of the slatted screen from this side to that, the lattice it makes against the horizontal lines of the backdrop, the harmonious minimalism of tone and material. It’s a visual pleasure, essential to the play’s character.”
–Lena Fransham, Theatreview

Ian Harman talks about his design:

I was attracted to Ache firstly because I love working with director Lyndee Jane Rutherford (LJ) and then secondly, when I read the script I had an instant connection with the piece. I wanted to design a set for a lighting designer to play with, and something that shifted and changed like the relationships in the play. I was interested in how the lattice would work and how we could use the light to define the spaces. I was thrilled with what Marcus McShane brought to the project.

Other than Ache, currently I am working on costume for Boys at the Beach at Centrepoint. I am directing, choreographing and designing British Invasion for the Abbey Musical Theatre and Designing, choreographing and performing as my alter ego Mr Lola Illusion in a Christmas Burlesque called Jingle all the Way.As for costume I wanted to work with broad brushstrokes and really let the actors work and the direction shine through.

For the overall design I wanted it to say modern, contemporary, utilitarian, and so hot right now. And I wanted it to feel like a very kiwi interior. I feel we achieved that and I love how it works! Finn our builder finished it beautifully and it works effortlessly.

Ache continues at Circa until Saturday 21 November.  Book now: 04 801 7992 orwww.circa.co.nz

Pip Hall’s Ache opens in Circa Two this weekend. This week on drama* on the waterfront, Debbie Fish talks to actor Jack Buchanan, about his roles in Ache and his love life…

Q:  Who do you play in Ache?

In Ache I play a number of characters – the foodie, who runs a pop-up restaurant out of his house, I play the cop, the architect, the doctor, and the groom.

Q:  Seeing as Ache focuses a lot on dating and relationships, can you tell us your current relationship status?

In its simplest form: horribly alone! But it’s alright, I’m OK with it. ‘Single’, let’s go with ‘single’.

Q: And are you feeling optimistic, given that statistics about the man drought?

Well I’m feeling a mixture of optimistic, and also “what the f*ck is wrong with me?”  Now that I know there are something like 50,000 more single women than men in New Zealand, or something crazy, I’ve clearly been doing a really bad job if I haven’t found any of them. But technically isn’t the man drought between 25-40? See I’m not 25 yet, so that must be the problem. As soon as I hit 25 I’m sure I’ll have 50,000 women at my door. The problem will be solved.

Q: Any stories you’d like to share about dating or relationships?

I’ve only been in two what I would call “serious” relationships. I was in a relationship from the time I was 16 until I was 20. And when I was 20 we broke up, and I kind of realised I didn’t know how to be single. I think when you’re around 18 is when most people figure that out and I missed that. And it was really terrifying and I didn’t know what to do. I think when you’re in a relationship and you’re young, there’s this thing like “if I were single I’m sure people would be all over me, it’d be so easy and I’d be so good at that” and then you become single and that’s just not true.

Q:  Why should people come see Ache?

The reason I like watching it is because Ricky [Dey] and Renée [Lyons] are really, really charming and watching them together is great. I think the play lives or dies on the chemistry of those two characters, and fortunately Ricky and Renee are not just two really great actors, which they are, but they’re two people who make each other laugh a lot. And I think that has really bled into the play in a really nice way. And then of course there’s the ‘we’re all single and alone’ and this is about that. It’s nice not to feel alone in being alone.

Ache runs from 24 October to 21 November in Circa Two. To book, visit,www.circa.co.nz or call the Circa Box Office on 04 801 7992.

 

This week on drama* on the waterfront, we talk to the “irresistible” Jan Prestonabout her upcoming show Adventures in Pianoland.  Jan joins us at Circa for one weekend only!  Tickets are selling fast – book now to avoid missing this musical tour de force.

 

Q:  This new show is an autobiography. What prompted you to write it at this stage of your life?

I’ve been including elements of my autobiography in various performances over the past few years, and it seemed the right time to write and present this show. I talked to Gaylene [Preston; Jan’s sister and Director of Adventures in Pianoland] about the idea and she was extremely enthusiastic, although it took a while to find the gap in both our schedules.  I’m extremely excited to finally be premiering the show in Wellington.

Q:  You trained as a classical pianist but now you are known as a boogie player. How did that transition happen?

It has been a very circuitous route, from studying classical, to playing in Jack Body’s Sonic Circus, to writing theatre music for Red Mole and onto rock songs with Coup D’Etat, before eventually finding my style as a boogie piano player and songwriter. All this is revealed in Adventures in Pianoland!

Q:  This is the first time your sister Gaylene has directed you although I believe you have composed music for her movies. Has this brought new dynamics to your relationship as sisters? 

We have always been very close, but we tend to keep our personal life separate from our working one. We definitely have a special dynamic when we work together, and I think Gaylene has been directing me, one way or another, since I could walk and talk.

Q:  Although you frequently come to NZ you are based in Australia. What took you there in the first place?

I originally went to Sydney to get a record contract in 1980, as that was the city many NZ rock musicians (eg Sharon O’Neill, Jenny Morris) were relocating to at that time.

Q:  You are remembered for your band Coup D’Etat  and work with Red Mole. They must have been exciting times?

They were wild times, it was the 1970s and early ’80s when the entertainment world was not as regulated as it is now, so collaborations were freer and more chaotic. I include stories and slides about Red Mole and Coup D’Etat in the show.

Q:  This is the premiere season of Adventures in Pianoland and certainly a departure for you with the combination of music and dialogue. Have you enjoyed the challenge it has presented to you?

In my concerts I always like to chat to the audience quite a bit anyway, so it feels quite natural to me to include dialogue.

Q:  Finally – if you were marooned on a desert Island and could take only 3 pieces of music with you, what would you choose?

The most important thing would be to have a piano on the island, so long as I could play I’d be OK, I care more about that than the actual music I would be playing.  If pushed, however, I would take my favourite boogie woogie, The Honky Tonk Train Blues by Meade Lux Lewis, plus some Chopin and maybe a piece of Winifred Atwell Ragtime.

Adventures is Pianoland is on for three days only!  Thursday 15 – Sat 17 October.
Book now:  www.circa.co.nz or 04 801 7992

 

This week on drama* on the waterfront, we hear from Harriet Prebble, who plays the role of iconic New Zealand author Janet Frame in Gifted.

The initial hurdle of approaching the role of Janet Frame as an actor was tackling the juxtaposition between mythology and reality. Gifted is told entirely from the point of view of Frank Sargeson, who also serves as the play’s narrator.  Through his eyes we see snapshots of memory: Janet at her highest, her lowest, her most magical, her most inaccessible, her most human, all filtered through Frank’s cycling emotions of curiosity, confusion, jealousy, fear, and admiration.

We are, by necessity, somewhat removed from Janet’s intellectual and emotional inner world, as she wanders in and out of Frank’s recollections.  Finding the internal truth and conviction of the character that underlies the external mysticism is just the sort of challenge I got into acting for.

There’s a wonderful scene in the play where Frank accuses Janet of “eavesdropping”. Growing up in a writing household, I learnt very quickly that writers border on omniscience: they see all; they hear all. Any anecdote, any colourful character, any turn of phrase is ripe for the plucking.  I love this exploration of the watchfulness of writers, and Janet in particular. Even if they’re shy (or, in fact, especially so) or socially removed and even if they appear to be disinterested or distracted, they’re still taking everything in – wordless exchanges, silly jokes, and even silences – whether as material for their next novel or just pure intrinsic fascination with people and the language they use.

Language is a focal point of the play, and it’s great to be able to take the audience through the fun of words. Wordplay, puns, etymology, patterns, poetry, innuendo – it’s a real chance to delight in something that we so often default to using purely as a tool. I’ve always had a fascination with language (I studied foreign languages at the University of Canterbury and went on to complete a publishing diploma in Wellington) and this play absolutely revels in it at all levels, from lofty literary allusions to Dead Souls right down to the humble fart joke.

This is my first time tip-toeing the boards of Circa, and I’m very proud to present this beautiful tale of our literary history to the audiences of Wellington, the cultural capital of New Zealand.

Gifted opens at Circa Theatre on 10 October, and runs until 31 October.
BOOK NOW:  04 801 7992 or www.circa.co.nz

 

This week on drama* on the waterfront, we’re thrilled to have Ralph McCubbin Howell and Hannah Smith of Trick of the Light Theatre at Circa with their award-winning showThe Bookbinder.

Tell us about The Bookbinder– what can audiences expect?

The Bookbinder is a dark fairytale that will appeal to everyone who enjoyed The Road That Wasn’t There last year. It is an original story set in a bookbinder’s workshop about an apprentice who fails to heed his instructions and finds himself bound in a book.  We wanted to capture the experience of reading, so during the course of the performance the story comes to life.  It’s intimate, engaging and transformative.

You’ve just got back from Edinburgh – how was that?

We had an amazing time doing The Bookbinder at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.  The Festival is colossal, and we weren’t sure if we’d get lost in the mix, but audiences really responded to the work.  We were sold out every day of the run, received multiple five-star reviews, and were short-listed for an award. It was really cool to be able to show our strange wee New Zealand story to an international audience and to put our work on the world stage.

You’ve been performing this show for the last year – what are you looking forward to about the Circa season?

We’ve done 150-odd performances of the show over the last two years, and it will be really nice to come back and do it in our hometown.  Also, we are usually on tour, packing the piece in and out of a theatre space every day.  At Circa we will be in one venue for two weeks, so we are able to transform the space into something really exciting!

 

The Bookbinder is on at Circa Theatre for the school holidays.  It will delight adults and children alike.  Suitable for children aged 8 and over.

11am and 7.30pm Tuesday-Saturday
4.30pm Sunday
Book online:  www.circa.co.nz
Or call 04 801 7992

 

This week on drama* on the waterfront, we meet Errol Anderson.  Errol is tackling his first role at Circa Theatre; he plays the extremely handsome and charming (if totally silent) Daryl in The Travelling Squirrel.

How has this experience been for you?

If I could describe the experience thus far with one word it would be humbling. I mean, imagine being picked for the starting All Black line-up? One, you must’ve done something right to get picked and two, you’re bound to get on a roll because your playing alongside some of the best. Plus I don’t have any lines, which allows me to kick back and appreciate my fellow actors’ processes. It has been very grounding and I get to learn something new everyday. It’s a hard life!

What other productions have we seen you in around Wellington?

I was very lucky to be involved in 2080 written by Aroha White and directed by Katie Wurahi at BATS Theatre earlier this year. I remember going into the audition room lines learnt, ‘dropping a free’ (rapping), and it all went quite nicely. My style is pretty raw and loose when it comes to this stuff,  but Katie had my back and smashed me. My performance wouldn’t have been where it was without the support and love of Hapai Production, fellow actors Susie Berry, Acushla-Tara Sutton, Nua Finau, and Aroha and Katie. These are some incredible people.

Has theatre always been a passion of yours?

I come from a house of strong and creative people. We’re split into either athletes or artisans – both performers, but slightly different stages. I owe my physical discipline and creativity to my father Royce Anderson – ‘The Carver’ – who trained our minds and bodies to excel when it wanted to give up. Naturally, I leaned toward a career in rugby because I understood it and Raywen Anderson my mother – ‘The Backbone’ – taught me how to play strategically, and how to cut people in half with tackles that people would come to see. Seeing how proud my parents were sideline would fuel my drive to win. It was only a matter of time until I took these teachings and transcribed them into theatre and film; once my body could no longer take anymore serious injuries. Theatre and film are places where I can share my skills through telling stories.

What are the things your have found most interesting about the The Travelling Squirrel?

It’s a quirky tale about how fickle the entertainment industry is and the characters you may run into on this rocky road we call showbiz. What’s not to like?

What are your plans following The Travelling Squirrel?

I’ve recently been cast in the play All Our Sons, written by Witi Ihimaera and directed by Nathaniel Lees, which goes up in Circa Theatre after we close The Travelling Squirrel. I’m really excited to get amongst the team in this production, because I know most of the cast in one way or another and am keen to breathe life into this piece, because it is so close to home.

The Travelling Squirrel is on at Circa Theatre until 2 October.
Book now:  ph 801 7992 or www.circa.co.nz