I have been privileged to be in London for Theatre events a few times, and every time is brilliant. There really are no bad experiences on the West End, or in London in general for theatre. And to be completely fair, this list will include at least one thing that is outside of the West-End… but it is totally worth it. Honourable mention needs to … Continue reading Top 5 West-End Theatre Experiences
I go on the road a lot in performance. We have taken groups to different areas to perform, including overseas. I have performed shows that have different venues on different days. As well as difficult locations to perform in. What do I take with me? To be completely frank with you, I am a master at preparing for a performance; as a director, stage manager … Continue reading Performing on the Road – What’s in my Performance Box?
I’ve been passionate about Shakespeare since before I attended high school… however, I know this isn’t the case for many students… or teachers. Recently I returned from the greatest few weeks working with the Globe Theatre in London, developing a deeper love for Shakespeare and a passion for engaging even younger kids with his works. I developed this teaching unit for use in middle and … Continue reading Teaching Shakespeare
Recently we have been knee deep in rehearsals for our version of HMS Pinafore. Here are a selection of behind the scenes shots of rehearsals and the set construction phases. Mostly we like to re-use elements from previous productions then update them with tweaks and paint. Ultimately we need to buy our own set of scaffolding, as it is so versatile. Continue reading Behind the Scenes
To summarise my experience with the Teachers Go Global programme has been the hardest thing to write. To say the experience was life altering seems trite, but so true. For most of my life, I have never really felt “at home”. This has extended to frequent moves, an extended list of places I don’t want to live, and a need to be near a certain … Continue reading Performing on the Globe Theatre Stage
There are times in my life where I throw caution to the wind and live reckless. This is probably 100% of the time these days. On the first day in London we went to the Albert Memorial to stretch our legs, and there it was, the Royal Albert Hall. Then I fell in love with Prince Albert and how he wanted the people to have … Continue reading The BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall
I was in London, preparing to perform at the Globe Theatre. Pretty special stuff. Then I found out that I had a day off from my schedule. What did I do? I totally blew all my money on “Hamilton” with zero regrets. Firstly, I bought a VIP Champagne package because I wanted to guarantee a seat. As I only found out my exact schedule a … Continue reading That time I went to see “Hamilton” on the West End
This year we participated in the Write for Rights event from Amnesty International. Our aim was to help highlight the issues surrounding illegal timber poaching in Madagascar and the wrongful imprisonment of Clovis. So we wrote and performed a play, loosely connected to Dr Seuss’s “The Lorax”, using elements of Brecht and Commedia in performance. Here is the play live: Continue reading Amnesty International – Write for Rights – I speak for the trees
Earlier this year I agreed to direct Roger Hall’s “Book Ends” for the Greytown Little Theatre. Why this play? I am still not sure what drew me to it, partly I think the challenge of dealing with older gentlemen, as generally I spend my days with the young. I have had a ball working with these lovely chaps over the last few months, but it … Continue reading Roger Hall’s “Book Ends”
Recently I started working towards my Masters in Creative Writing with Massey University. And I do mean working towards. I have completed one post-grad paper (yay), and now I am waiting to hear if I have been accepted into the programme. I did well in the post-grad paper, so I am hoping for acceptance. (I am putting this here– I write in NZ English, so … Continue reading Masters in Creative Writing
Beyond Theatre 