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Cast

Nora Helmer Acushla-Tara Kupe

Torvald Helmer Jonathan Price

Kristine Linde Hester Ullyart

Nils Krogstad Cameron Douglas

Dr. Rank Roy Snow

Anne-Marie Kim Garrett

Helene Jorja Baylee

Hanna Annabelle Laurenson

Emmy Willow Mugford

Ivar George Sutherland

Hanna Emilie Sweeney

Emmy Charlotte Taylor

Ivar Ben Santry

Creatives

Director

Melanie Luckman

Set Designer & Properties Manager Julian Southgate

Costume Design & Construction Pam Jones Pauline Laws

Costume Construction

Daniella Salazar

Findlay Currie

Wig Designer & Stylist Zoe Buckland

Composer, Musician, Co-Sound

Designer and Young Actors’ Performance Coach

Co-Sound Designer

Lighting Designer and Stage Manager (from 24 Oct 2024)

Technical Manager

Amy Straker

Matt Short

Jo Bunce

Giles Tanner

Stage Manager (to 23 Oct 2024) Haydon Dickie

Workshop Manager

Set Construction

Other Acknowledgements:

Alex Wilson, the parents/caregivers of young performers, Caelan Thomas (Pianist), Ryan Chin (Original Composition Sound Engineer), Jem Anderson-Gardner of Commotion Studio (behind the scenes photography), Charlie Jackson of Charlie Rose Creative (photography), and Jude Streeter of Hey Judes hair salon.

Choreographer

Intimacy Director

Chaperones

Production Manager

Artistic Director

Production Coordinator

Matthew Duffy

Edward Roche

Seth Edwards-Ellis

Hillary Moulder

Kira Josephson

Marcella Herrera

Maezee Burgess

Jill Macgregor

Bradley Mutch

Tim Bain

Alison Walls

Emma Finlay

Christopher Hampton’s version of A Doll’s House was first presented at Chichester Festival Theatre on 25 May 1994.

Running Time: approx. 2 hours 45 minutes (including 20-minute interval)

Content Advisory: Contains references to suicide, including means of suicide, and to terminal illness. A Doll’s House staged at The Court Theatre 12 October to 9 November 2024

Nau Mai, Haere Mai

A Doll’s House is a classic for a reason. It is an important work in the theatrical canon, being one of the first examples of modern realist drama. But more than that, it reaches across time and still speaks to us today.

The play is inherently feminist, whether Henrik Ibsen intended it to be or not. This woman, trapped within the strict confines of a patriarchal society, rejects her role of wife and mother in search of her true self. It sounds very noble and heroic. What I love most about A Doll’s House is that Nora’s fight is neither noble nor heroic. It’s much more real than that. It’s messy, uncomfortable and domestic. Ibsen’s characters are incredibly real - they all have flaws as well as redeeming features and I challenge you to discuss with your fellow theatre-goers who you think are the good guys and the bad guys.

My vision for this production was of a beautiful doll house within which these messy, real people exist. I feel incredibly grateful to be surrounded by a master design team of long-time collaborators who have created this beauty you are about to see. And to Acushla-Tara and the rest of the actors who have poured everything into realising these gloriously complex characters: thank you.

A final question for you, as you are about to embark on Nora’s journey: Are you a product of your upbringing or of your society? Or can you just be yourself?

Melanie Luckman Director

Henrik Ibsen (1828 – 1906) was a revolutionary. While we do not now identify realism with the avant-garde, the playwrights who dared to put “ordinary” people on stage, behaving simply as people do, with real furniture, and real, psychologically-driven struggles were breaking new ground, and Ibsen was among the most influential. Ibsen may have demurred on the question of his protofeminism—hailed by the Women’s Rights League for A Doll’s House, he responded, “My task has been the description of humanity”— and yet, in doing so, he struck a powerfully resonant chord for feminists then and now. It was too powerful for some. German theatres demanded an alternate ending, much to Ibsen’s disgust.

Director, Melanie Luckman, and her phenomenal cast and creative team have approached this piece with sensitivity and intelligence, tapping into the full force of its emotional truth, and a careful and skilled attention to detail. We are grateful to everyone who has brought A Doll’s House to life and proud to share this remarkable work with you.

Alison Walls Artistic Director

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House is a play that holds particular resonance for The Court Theatre. This remarkable work featured early in the history of The Court Theatre, appearing in the second season in 1972 directed by our founding Co-Director, Yvette Bromley. Now it returns as one of our final productions here in The Shed before we relocate to our brand-new home in the city.

I’d like to thank Spark, our show sponsor and Ryman Healthcare, our 2024 Season sponsor for their ongoing support which enables us to present Ōtautahi Christchurch and Canterbury audiences with the very best of live theatre.

Gretchen La Roche Executive Director

Henrik Ibsen Original Author of A Doll’s House

At age 23, Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) became theatre director and resident playwright of the new National Theatre at Bergen, charged with creating a national drama. He directed the Norwegian Theatre in Kristiana from 1857 to 1863, when the theatre went bankrupt. He then set off on extended travels in Europe, beginning a self-imposed exile that would last until 1891.

In Italy, he wrote the troubling moral tragedy Brand (1866) and the buoyant Peer Gynt (1867). After the satire Pillars of Society (1877), he found his voice and an international audience with powerful studies of middle-class morality in A Doll’s House (1879), Ghosts (1881), An Enemy of

the People (1882), The Wild Duck (1884) and Rosmersholm (1886). His more symbolic plays, most of them written after his return to Norway in 1891, include Hedda Gabler (1890), The Master Builder (1892), Little Eyolf (1894) and When We Dead Awaken (1899).

Emphasising character over plot, Ibsen addressed social problems such as political corruption and the changing role of women, as well as psychological conflicts stemming from frustrated love and destructive family relationships. He greatly influenced European theatre and is regarded as the founder of modern prose drama.

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Christopher Hampton

Adapter of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

Christopher Hampton wrote his first play, When Did You Last See My Mother? at the age of eighteen; its production in London made him the youngest playwright on record to have a play in the West End. Since then, his plays have included The Philanthropist, Savages, Tales from Hollywood, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, White Chameleon, The Talking Cure, Appomattox, All About Eve, A German Life and Visit from an Unknown Woman. He has written the libretti for three Philip Glass operas and cowritten three musicals including Sunset Boulevard. He has translated plays by Ibsen, Molière, von Horváth, Chekhov, Yasmina Reza (including Art and God of Carnage), Daniel Kehlmann (The Mentor, Christmas Eve) and Florian Zeller (The Son, The Father, The Mother, The Truth, The Lie, The Height of the Storm and The Forest). His plays, musicals and translations have so far garnered four Tony Awards, three Olivier Awards, five

Evening Standard Awards and the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award. Hampton’s many screenplays include Dangerous Liaisons, Total Eclipse, The Quiet American, Atonement, Chéri, A Dangerous Method, The Father, and The Son (the last two with Florian Zeller). He both wrote and directed Carrington, The Secret Agent and Imagining Argentina.

His television work includes adaptations of The History Man, Hotel du Lac, The Thirteenth Tale, and The Singapore Grip. Prizes for his film and television work include two Oscars, three BAFTAs, a European Film Award, a Writers’ Guild of America Award, the Prix Italia, a Special Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Hollywood Screenwriter of the Year, and The Collateral Award at the Venice Film Festival for Best Literary Adaptation.

The Cast

Acushla-Tara Kupe

Nora Helmer

Acushla-Tara (Ngāti Maniapoto) cut her teeth performing for local theatre companies in Taranaki before heading to Pōneke Wellington to study business at Te Herenga Waka. During her tertiary studies she continued performing with the likes of Young and Hungry and Circa Theatre, eventually moving to the UK in 2016. There she continued her work in theatre, screen, and voice work, before returning home in 2020.

Her theatre credits include Prima Facie (Herald Theatre), Emilia! (PopUp Globe), Anahera (Finborough Theatre UK), Twelfth Night (London Open Air Theatre UK), and A View from the Bridge (Circa Theatre).

Acushla-Tara’s television credits include The Gone (TVNZ & RTÉ), Under the Vines (TVNZ & Acorn TV), and Mr Corman (Apple TV+). Her film credits include Chronesthesia, Encounters, and The Dead Room

Acushla-Tara is a proud member of Equity New Zealand.

Jonathan Price Torvald Helmer

Jonathan completed his BA (Hons) in theatre and English literature from Victoria University and further trained at the John Bolton Theatre School and Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Étampes, France.

In 2016 he appeared in Indian Ink’s The Elephant Thief and Capital E’s An Awfully Big Adventure. With A Slightly Isolated Dog theatre company he has co-created and continues to tour Don Juan (2015), Jekyll & Hyde (2016), The Trojan War (2022), and Safety in Numbers (2022).

Jonathan has taught theatre creation skills at Toi Whakaari, Unitec Te Pūkenga and The Actors’ Program. He directed and co-wrote A Traveller’s Guide to Turkish Dogs which premiered in 2020 and directed The Importance of Being Earnest at Circa Theatre in 2023.

Hester Ullyart

Kristine Linde

Hester Ullyart is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, London.

Her previous Court Theatre credits include A Streetcar Named Desire. Her other theatre credits include King Lear (Auckland Theatre Company), Woyzeck (Free Theatre Christchurch), Sweet Bird of Youth (Chichester Festival Theatre), Paragon Dreams (Hull Truck, Auckland Writers Festival), and The Mousetrap (UK Tour).

Hester’s television credits include One Lane Bridge S2, One Of Us is Lying, and Cracker. Her film credits include her award-winning poetry film I am all the rooms of the house.

A multi-disciplinary artist, Hester performs music under the moniker of Hester Ida and the Music. Her poetry is published variously, and she has written, directed and produced various long form local and international independent works. She is a member of Equity New Zealand and runs Common Ground Kā Tūka Toikupu Spoken Word Sessions in Ōhinehou.

Cameron Douglas Nils Krogstad

Cameron is a graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA).

His professional theatre debut was at The Court Theatre in My Fair Lady and since then he has performed in numerous productions. Most recently Cameron appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar, A Streetcar Named Desire, Jersey Boys, Once, The Girl on the Train, Flagons and Foxtrots, RENT, and Something Rotten!.

His other theatre highlights include Red, Avenue Q (Fortune Theatre), Poor Boy, Oliver, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Auckland Theatre Company), Assassins (Silo Theatre Company), and being an original cast member of That Bloody Woman.

Cameron’s professional experience also spans television and music. He is the lead singer and acoustic guitarist of New Zealand’s premiere skiffle rock and roll band, The Goldonies. His television credits include Outrageous Fortune, Legend of the Seeker, and One Night Only.

Roy Snow Dr. Rank

Roy is a Court Theatre regular with numerous appearances over the last 15 years, most recently on our stage as nefarious train conductor Michel in The Court Theatre’s smash hit Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Further Court Theatre credits include Little Shop of Horrors, End of the Rainbow, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime, Chicago, and Ladies Night. Recent highlights include Mannband and Ladies Night at Centrepoint Theatre, and a villainous turn in ATC’s acclaimed production, North by North West. His other theatre credits include The Rocky Horror Show and Cabaret (ATC), The Threepenny Opera (Silo Theatre), The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and Evita (Showbiz Christchurch).

Roy can be found renovating his old house in Geraldine, keeping his wife happy, and walking his daughter’s pug Tibbers.

Kim Garrett

Anne-Marie

Kim Te Pairi Garrett is an actor, tutor, writer, and director.

Known for her portrayal of Te Rongopai Rameka on Shortland Street, Kim came to screen later in her career after twenty years of professional theatre. As an actor, Kim’s theatre credits include tours and seasons with Taki Rua, The Court Theatre, Different Light Theatre, The Fortune Theatre and Circa, among others. She recently directed The Court Theatre’s primary school touring show, Matatihi: Maia’s Journey of Bravery.

She recently completed a contract tutoring acting at a tertiary level at NASDA, and is now launching her writing and directing career.

Jorja Baylee Helene

Jorja is an actor and improviser based in Ōtautahi. Fresh from touring the country with New Zealand Playhouse, she is delighted to be returning to The Court Theatre stage.Jorja made her Court Theatre mainstage debut in 2019 as Princess Lillian in The Princess and the Frog (and the Robber!). Her other theatre credits include Crash Bash, Cheshire Cat’s Smile, The Arsonists, The Reluctant Dragon, and Romeo and Juliet.

Jorja also starred in the award-winning film Woman. For her performance as Eva, she won a 2023 Taylor’s University Film Festival award for Best Actress.In addition, Jorja is an Apprentice Jester for The Court Jesters and frequently performs on stage in Scared Scriptless.

Jorja is a proud member of Equity New Zealand.

Young Performers

Annabelle Laurenson Hanna (Green Cast)

Annabelle is a vibrant and self-assured 10-year-old singer with a passion for performance.

In Year 6 at St Andrew’s College, Annabelle has graced the stage in her school productions of The Little Mermaid and Antoinette’s Show Stoppers, and Oliver! for Enchanting Productions, where her love for the spotlight shines through.

Her enthusiasm for being in shows is matched only by her joy in simply having fun, making her a beloved presence both on and off the stage. Annabelle is a keen hockey and basketball player, and most recently she has rediscovered her passion for swimming in a squad!

Willow Mugford Emmy (Green Cast)

Willow is seven years old and is currently in Year 3 at Selwyn House School.

Willow started her love of the performing arts at the early age of two from the late Mandy Roberts. She continues to learn musical theatre and all forms of dance at TDA - Theatre Dance Academy. Willow also learns the piano and is an avid reader. This will be Willow’s first Court Theatre show. She is looking forward to learning how to be a “real actress”, something she hopes to do when she grows up!

George Sutherland Ivar (Green Cast)

Nine-year-old George is excited to make his Court Theatre debut in A Doll’s House. He has performed annually at Silhouette Studios showcase where he trains in classical ballet, acro, musical theatre, hip hop, lyrical, contemporary, and jazz. A highlight for George was being included in the cast of the academy programme Cabaret Einhundert 2024. He also enjoys Theatre Craft Acting classes with The Unity Creative.

George enjoys being part of a lively homeschool community. In the summer he loves to play touch, run, rollerblade, and skateboard. In winter you’ll find him on the ice skating rink, playing hockey and speeding down the slopes of Cardrona ski field.

Emilie Sweeney Hanna (Blue Cast)

Emilie is 11 years old and is a Year 7 student at St Francis of Assisi primary school. A Doll’s House is her third Court Theatre production, having previously performed in Disney’s Frozen JR. (Young Anna) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR. (ensemble).

Her other theatre credits include Annie (North Canterbury Musical Society), Monty Phython’s SPAMALOT Young@Part ® (Luminaires), and Little Red Riding Hood (Hoon Hay Theatre Company).

Emilie is a current student at the Theatre Dance Academy, with extensive training in jazz, contemporary, musical theatre, and ballet. She studies ballroom dancing at Ballare Dance Studio and receives vocal training at The Voice Lab. She has had singing and drama lessons for several years. Emilie also competes in sport aerobics with her twin sister Indiana.

Charlotte Taylor Emmy (Blue Cast)

Charlotte is seven years of age, in Year 3 at Selwyn House School.

She loves exploring and creating both at home and at school. Musically, she plays piano and Suzuki cello. She is an enthusiastic dancer, doing commercial, ballet, and acro at Silhouette Studios. Charlotte enjoys participating in many sports including hockey, netball, and touch rugby. At home she loves baking with her mum, playing with her dolls, creating Lego models and making messy artwork too. She currently has a penchant for making breakfast for Mum and Dad. Fried eggs is her favourite creation.

Ben Santry Ivar (Blue Cast)

Ben is 11 years old and is in Year 6 at Governors Bay School. He has been attending drama classes at The Court Theatre for about two years.

A Doll’s House is his first ever play and he is very excited to be a part of it.

Ben loves art, gaming, swimming, and running. He also goes to Scouts and enjoys camping and tramping.

The Plot

Spoilers ahead!

Act I

It’s Christmas Eve and Nora Helmer returns home from Christmas shopping. The Helmers’ financial situation has improved since last year; Torvald has been promoted to Bank Manager. Nora relishes the freedom to spend more, and Torvald affectionately teases her for her spendthrift ways.

Two visitors arrive: Kristine Linde, an old friend of Nora’s, and Dr Rank, a good friend and regular presence in the Helmer home. Rank and Torvald go to his study. Kristine, now widowed, has had an unhappy marriage and struggled financially. Nora agrees to ask Torvald about a job for her at the bank. Nora reveals that she too has had to struggle for money. Torvald had been dangerously ill and in need of recovery in Italy, Nora secretly obtained a large sum and has been paying it back ever since, despite the law barring married women from borrowing money without their husband or father as guarantors.

Nils Krogstad, an employee at Torvald’s bank, arrives and goes into the study. Kristine tells Nora that she used to know Krogstad. Rank re-enters. Rank, who suffers from spinal tuberculosis, compares his physical state to Krogstad’s “moral illness”. Torvald comes in and promises to look into a position for Kristine. Torvald, Rank, and Kristine leave as the nanny returns with the children. Krogstad reappears and tells Nora that Torvald intends to fire him. He pressures her to prevent it. When she refuses, Krogstad threatens to blackmail her. Not only had Nora obtained the loan through Krogstad, but he has figured out that she forged her father’s signature on the loan agreement. Krogstad leaves and Torvald reappears. Nora pleads in vain for Krogstad’s job. Torvald refuses, remarking that corruptions such as Krogstad’s—forgery— can corrupt a family.

Act II

Kristine arrives to help Nora with her costume for a party. Torvald returns and Nora again futilely pleads with him to reinstate Krogstad. Rank arrives and Nora asks him for a favour. Rank’s disease is now terminal. He tells Nora he loves her. With his love out in the open, Nora can no longer ask for his help.

Having been fired, Krogstad comes back to confront Nora, telling her he will blackmail Torvald into rehiring and promoting him. He leaves a letter in the locked letterbox. Kristine re-enters and Nora reveals all. Kristine promises to plead with Krogstad, who was once in love with her. Torvald enters and Nora distracts him by asking for help with the Tarantella she will perform at the party. Once alone, Nora considers suicide to save Torvald from shame and from publicly taking responsibility himself.

Act III

Kristine meets Krogstad alone, while the Helmers are at the party. Kristine tells Krogstad that she only rejected him because she had to marry another man to support her family. Krogstad says he will ask for his letter back, but Kristine has decided that the truth needs to come out. Krogstad leaves, and the Helmers and Rank return. Rank goes home, leaving behind visiting cards, marked with a black cross constituting his announcement that he will soon die. Torvald discovers Krogstad’s letter. Outraged, he tells Nora that she is unfit to raise children, but that they shall stay married for appearances. Another letter from Krogstad then arrives, returning the incriminating documents and releasing Nora from her I.O.U. Torvald celebrates, feeling now that Nora’s failings make her more loveable, affirming his strength in forgiving her.

Nora realises that Torvald would not have sacrificed reputation for her, even though she would have sacrificed both her honour and her life for him. She realises that she has been a “doll” to him, as she was to her father, and that she must find out who she is and what she thinks. Without that, she cannot raise her children and a true marriage between the two of them is impossible. Nora returns her ring and leaves, shutting the door behind her.

The Costumes

Pam Jones & Pauline Laws

Costume Design & Construction

In preparing the costumes for A Doll’s House, we read the play several times to get a feel for the costume elements. We then met with Melanie, the director, and Julian, the set designer, working closely with both of them throughout the process.

Melanie has set the play when it was written in 1879, and Julian’s set design included a specific colour palette and textures. Next was hours of research into the clothing of the era, with a Norwegian perspective. The play is set over three days during Christmas, with snowy and very cold weather, so the costumes needed to have a warm, textured feeling of wool and fur. We then looked through the wardrobe department’s extensive stock, with the hope of finding pieces we may be able to use, cut up, and repurpose. We were fortunate to find the outerwear, fabrics, and underwear.

The designs were then put to paper, with fabric swatches for each costume. Once approved by Mel, we began the build. We crafted most of the indoor costumes, including the children’s costumes.

Each garment is fitted several times until we feel it’s perfect. We are both in our element making period costumes, and choosing a favourite is difficult—each time we fit an actor, our favourite changes. We get very excited bringing the characters that Ibsen created 145 years ago to life.

Fun fact: Nora’s costume weighs 10 kg.

The Creatives

Melanie Luckman Director

Melanie is a freelance theatre director based in Ōtautahi Christchurch. She holds a Master of Theatre Arts (Directing) from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School & Victoria University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Canterbury. She is a previous Associate Director of The Court Theatre. Her Court Theatre directing credits include Groundswell, The Great Art War, Constellations, In The Next Room, or the vibrator play, A Streetcar Named Desire, and ONCE.

Melanie is the Artistic Director of Cubbin Theatre Company for whom she has created and directed Up and Away, Play Play, Me and My Nana, and Sportsball. Mel is a board member of PAYPA (Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa).

Jo Bunce

Lighting Designer & Stage Manager (From `24 Oct)

Jo graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School with a diploma in technical production in 1996 and has been working in theatre for over 30 years. She freelanced for many years in Wellington as a lighting designer/operator and stage manager as well as working overseas in London and Edinburgh and in film. She was an on-set production assistant for King Kong.

Jo is the Head Stage Manager at The Court Theatre and has been involved in over 50 Court Productions going back to 1996 including Cabaret, Othello, Art, The Seagull, Amadeus, Pacific Post, The Motor Camp, End of the Rainbow, Blood Brothers, One Man, Two Guvnors, Niu Sila, The Ladykillers, Waiora, Steel Magnolias, Venus in Fur, Easy Money, Stephen King’s Misery, Elling, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Fresh Off the Boat, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ladies Night, Frankenstein, The Girl on the Train, Flagons and Foxtrots, Sense and Sensibility, and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.

Jo graduated from the University of Canterbury with a Bachelor of Arts in 1994.

Julian Southgate Set Designer & Properties Manager

Julian has designed numerous Court Theatre sets including Babylon Heights, Year of the Rat, Skin Tight, Baghdad, Baby!, Blackbird, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, The Tutor, Heartbreak House, Angels, The Perfumed Garden, Side by Side by Sondheim, Much Ado About Nothing, Pacific Post, The Women, Amadeus, End of the Rainbow, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Plum, Le Sud, Romeo and Juliet, Exit the King, In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Wind in the Willows, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.His other stage set designs include Cats, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Showbiz Christchurch), and the national tour of Pinocchio (Royal New Zealand Ballet). Julian has also made props and sculpture for numerous festivals, operas, and outdoor and street theatre.

Pauline Laws

Costume Design & Construction

Pauline first worked at The Court Theatre in 1980 as wardrobe supervisor and has been a costume designer on many productions since. She designed, with Pam Jones, Man in a Suitcase, Pacific Post, The Women, The Great Art War, Le Sud, and In the Next Room, or the vibrator play. She has worked as a pattern maker/cutter and sewer on many other productions such as Romeo and Juliet, Mary Poppins, Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jersey Boys, Something Rotten!, and Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR.

Pauline’s other credits include Canterbury Opera, Wellington Opera, and New Zealand Opera as a pattern maker/cutter and The Royal New Zealand Ballet Company as wardrobe supervisor. Her television credits include Dancing with the Stars, The Tribe, and The Lost Children.Her film credits include Heavenly Creatures, Lord of The Rings, King Kong, The Last Samurai, Black Sheep, Predicament, Waterhorse, Avatar, What We Do in the Shadows, The Hobbit, and her latest movie, We Were Dangerous.

Pam Jones

Costume Design & Construction

A lifetime love of creating clothing led to Pam’s employment at The Court Theatre, where for nine years she designed and produced costumes for over 100 productions, including The Curative, Oliver!, and Guys and Dolls, before creating an independent company, The Costumery.

At The Costumery, she has designed and created costumes for The Court Theatre’s productions of Angels, Man in a Suitcase, Pacific Post, The Women, The Great Art War, Le Sud, Educating Rita, Steel Magnolias, In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, and Les Liaisions Dangereuses. Pam has also designed and produced costumes for nationwide touring shows The Buddy Holly Story, South Pacific, HMS Pinafore, Grease!, The Sound of Music, Saturday Night Fever, Social Climbers, and Cats. In 2024 she was Head of Wardrobe for the New Zealand tour of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Giles Tanner Technical Manager

Giles is a graduate of Hagley Theatre Company (Diploma in Performing Arts), where he concentrated on technical production, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Canterbury.

Currently Head Technician at The Court Theatre, Giles has worked on more than 50 Court productions including Amadeus, When the Rain Stops Falling, Constellations, Educating Rita, Waiora: Te U Kai Po - The Homeland, The Events, Venus in Fur, Titus Andronicus, In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, Stephen King’s Misery, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Once, The Wind in the Willows, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Girl on the Train, Sense and Sensibility, Dance Nation, and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express.

Giles was one of 2023’s The Arts Foundation Te Tumu Toi Out of the Limelight Awards, recognising dedicated theatre practitioners in Aotearoa.

Amy Straker

Composer, Musician, Co-Sound Designer & Young Actors’ Performance Coach

Amy Straker is an actor, theatre maker, musician and performance coach. Since graduating from NASDA in 2005 Amy has performed throughout Aotearoa as an actor and musician. Her original music is played under the name Amy Grace and with The Swan Sisters. Amy is a co-creator of Cubbin Theatre Company making high quality creative experiences for the very young, and she recently co-wrote and designed the music for Sportsball with her brother, Nathan Straker.

Amy’s performance coach experience extends across theatre and film. Current coaching credits she has worked on include We Were Dangerous (Piki Films), Sister Josephine (AJFilms), and Fun Home. A Doll’s House is Amy’s first show as a composer and co-sound designer for The Court Theatre.

Matt Short Co-Sound Designer

rom the bustling streets of London to the vibrant stages of New Zealand, Matt’s career has spanned the dynamic world of media and entertainment. Beginning as a marketing rep for a major record label at just 23 years old, he quickly moved into broadcast television, becoming a senior camera operator for British Sky Broadcasting. Mastering the Radamec and Stanton crane systems, Matt gained invaluable experience in live TV production, both in the studio and on international assignments.

Returning to New Zealand, Matt worked with TVNZ, co-filming, recording sound, and composing music for an adventure guide series. He then made his mark as a composer and sound designer for numerous high-profile advertising and marketing films. Now at The Court Theatre, Matt brings his extensive technical expertise and creative vision as a Technician and Sound Composer/Designer, ready to captivate audiences with his technical expertise and artistic vision.

Haydon Dickie

Stage Manager (Until 23 Oct)

Haydon is both a stage and screen creative. His screen credits include Mr Savant (Actor, Winning Film - Somedays Stories Film Challenge 2019), Truth.exe (Actor/Crew, Official Selection: Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, Sci Fi Film Festival (Sydney), Monthly Finalist - Changing Face International Film Festival, Winner - Best Student Film, Miami International SciFi Film Festival), and The Bostrom Scenario (Producer/Actor, 2024 International Film Festival Circuit, feature film based on Truth.exe). Haydon was a member of The Court Youth Company 2019/2020. His performance credits with the company include The Quarantine Diaries, Brainstorm, Boudica, and Jekyll & Hyde.

Recently, Haydon has pursued a more behind the scenes path. His stage management credits include RENT, Appropriate, Next To Normal, The Haka Party Incident, Something Rotten!, (Assistant Stage Manager), The Marriage of Figaro (Chorus ASM), Boys, The Unauthorized Biography of..., Cinderella, 42nd Street, and FairyStories (Stage Manager) to name a few. Haydon is also a playwright with two published works, Reminisce (2022) and Tell Me Where To Start (2024).

Hillary Moulder Choreographer

Hillary is an accomplished performer with a Diploma in Performing Arts. She proudly holds associate credentials in Modern and Tap from the International Dance Teachers Association and is a proud member of Equity New Zealand.

Hillary has performed in productions such as Chicago, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jersey Boys, Time Machine, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, A Streetcar Named Desire, A Christmas Carol and Escape from Haunted House. Additionally, she showcased her choreographic talent in Ladies Night, Once, Flagons and Foxtrots, Next to Normal, Matilda, and That Bloody Woman, and directed the enchanting shows Sense and Sensibility, A Flight Before Christmas and Every Brilliant Thing. Hillary’s repertoire encompasses diverse works such as Matilda The Musical, Beauty and the Beast - The Pantomime, A Fine Romance, and We Were Dangerous (Piki Films).

Hillary is a strong supporter of equality, diversity and the power and importance of acceptance in theatre and the world alike.

Kira Josephson Intimacy Director

Kira works regularly at The Court Theatre as an Actor (The Girl on the Train, Dance Nation, Legally Blonde), a Choreographer (Something Rotten!, Little Shop of Horrors, Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR.), and an Intimacy Director.

Her intimacy professional training includes completing the Consent-Forward Artist Programme and both levels of the Foundations of Intimacy with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC), as well as the Foundations of Race and Intimacy with Theatrical Intimacy Education. She has also completed more than 30 specialized workshops in intimacy education. Her ID credits include Dance Nation, The Sweet Science of Bruising, Something Rotten!, She Kills Monsters (The Court Theatre), Curtains, Be More Chill (MUSOC); Mamma Mia (Showbiz Christchurch), and more. Earlier this year as a part of The Court Theatre’s Rainbow Theatre Weekend, she presented an Intimacy Direction 101 workshop and intimacy directed Nude Dudes Do Dramatic Readings.

Kira is a proud member of the American Actors’ Equity Association and SAGAFTRA, as well as Equity New Zealand (of which she is the Board Secretary). She appears as “Jane” on Power Rangers Dino Fury [Seasons 28 and 29] and Cosmic Fury [Season 30] and as “Bec” on Kid Sister on TVNZ [Seasons 1 and 2].