CAST

In 1969, Eilish first tiptoed onto the stage at the age of four in Dame Ngaio Marsh’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She joined The Court Company at 18 as a student actor and since then has become a regular on The Court’s stage.

She has appeared in 80 productions at The Court. Some of her favourites include August: Osage County; Homeland; Suddenly Last Summer; Dancing at Lughnasa; Travesties; Cabaret; End of the Rainbow; Blood Brothers; Ropable; Chicago; Titus Andronicus; In The Next Room, or The Vibrator Play; Les Liaisons Dangereuses; The Pink Hammer and Flagons and Foxtrots.

Her television and film credits include the drama series Hope and Wire on TV3 and the short film Run Rabbit, directed by Robyn Paterson.

Eilish is an Associate of The Court Theatre.

Bianca is a graduate of The Actors’ Program New Zealand (Diploma of Stage and Screen Acting).

Her previous theatre credits include Chicago (The Court Theatre); The Children’s Midsummer Night’s Dream (Pop-up Globe) and Michael Jackson ONE (Cirque du Soleil).

Bianca’s television credits include Shortland Street, The Panthers and the most recent Commercial Bay campaign.

She has had an exceptional dance career, both in New Zealand and the USA.

Dancing under Emmy Award winning choreographer Parris Goebel for four years, she became a World Champion, winning one Bronze and two Gold medals at the World Hip Hop Championships (Las Vegas). She also performed in Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson ONE for three years in Las Vegas.

Natasha is a graduate of Wellington Performing Arts Centre (WPAC; Bachelor of Performing Arts). Based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington), Natasha is often seen at Circa Theatre where her most recent theatre credits include Pinocchio and the title roles of The Little Mermaid; Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland.

Alongside being the cochoreographer for Circa’s annual pantomime, Natasha enjoys choreographing numbers for musicals, drag shows and pop concerts such as The Tiwhas! (Circa); Purple People Eater (Cuba Dupa, WITCH) and Underscore (Te Auaha, WITCH).

Her favourite roles include Amber Von Tussle (Hairspray, MM Musicals, London); Chris Harginson (Carrie: The Musical, WITCH, Bats) and Liliane La Fleur (Nine, WPAC).

This is Natasha’s first Court Theatre show, and she is looking forward to spending her summer with a team of incredible artists.

Kathleen Burns Rebekah Head

Kathleen began her career as a Court Jester in 2003 and still performs in Scared Scriptless. She is a graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA).

Her previous Court Theatre credits include Ladies Night; Educating Rita; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time; Steel Magnolias; The Pink Hammer and RENT. Her other theatre credits from around the country include A Servant to Two Masters; Under Milkwood; Cinderella and The Little Mermaid (Circa Theatre); Avenue Q; Five Women Wearing the Same Dress and Flagons and Foxtrots (Fortune Theatre); Perfuct Storm; Dungeons and Comedians and Feminist Yarns with Kathleen Burns (Little Andromeda).

Kathleen’s screen credits include Sextortion (TVNZ); Working Class; Ghost Shark 2 and the soon-to-be-released The Push.

Kathleen made her mainstage directorial debut with Flagons and Foxtrots at The Court Theatre in 2022.

Rebekah is a graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA; Bachelor of Performing Arts).

Her previous Court Theatre credits include Cops and Robbers; The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling. Her other theatre credits include Beauty and the Beast - The Pantomime (GMG Productions); Toys (Little Andromeda); Wicked (Showbiz Christchurch, Invercargill Musical Theatre and NPOS); Peter and the Wolf (SILO Theatre / Singapore International Festival of Arts); Glenn Miller and The Andrews Sisters (Operatunity) and The Importance of Being Earnest (New Zealand Playhouse).

Her television credits include Sweet Tooth (Pilot), Custard’s World (HEIHEI / TVNZ+) and What Now (Whitebait Media).

Rebekah is a co-founder of the Ōtautahi-based company, Tusk Puppets, and is a proud member of Equity New Zealand.

Kim Garrett

Kim is a graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA; Bachelor of Performing Arts, Acting).

Her previous Court Theatre credits include August: Osage County; White Rabbit, Red Rabbit; Shepherd; Le Sud; Romeo and Juliet; Exit the King; Mary Poppins; Macbeth; Waiora; Legally Blonde the Musical; He Kura E Huna Ana and The Father. Kim has also been involved in many Court Theatre children’s shows and school touring productions.

Her other theatre credits include The Maids; Duck; The Slapdash Assassin and The Motor Camp (Fortune Theatre); Putorino Hill (Taki Rua), for which she received a Chapman Tripp Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2014, and Hairspray (Showbiz Christchurch).

Since June 2018 Kim has been appearing as Te Rongopai Rameka in Shortland Street.

Isayah (Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Kahungunu) is a Christchurchbased performer from West Auckland.

She was previously involved with The Court Youth Company in 2019 / 20, performing in several shows including Boudicca and Jekyll and Hyde. Other theatre credits include White Rabbit, Red Rabbit and Reminisce (Little Andromeda); and Love and Information (Dramasoc).

Isayah recently had a small role in the Christchurch-filmed feature Te Motu.

This is Isayah’s first professional theatre role and she looks forward to being on standby to support her cast-mates in this new COVID climate.

Louise is a graduate of The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (Diploma in Classical Acting) and Victoria University of Wellington (BA in Theatre and Film and English Literature). She also has LTCL in Speech and Drama.

Her previous Court Theatre credits include Gypsy; Daughters of Heaven; Private Lives; Shadowlands; A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine; Larnach – Castle of Lies; Big River; Arcadia; She Stoops to Conquer; She Loves Me and The Wind in the Willows. Other theatre credits include The Importance of Being Earnest and Hay Fever (Scriptease Productions).

Louise has directed and produced two musicals with Enchanting Productions – The Secret Garden in 2021 and, last year, A Little Night Music, working with musical director Mark W. Dorrell. Louise also teaches drama and musical theatre, and sings with Conspiro.

Originally from the West Coast, Connie is a graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA) with a Bachelor of Performing Arts, Musical Theatre.

Her previous Court Theatre credits include The Princess and the Frog (and the Robber!) and Flagons and Foxtrots. Her other theatre credits include Red Robyn Riding Hood; Shakespeare as you Write it; Chilled; Rumpelstiltskin and The Emperor’s New Clothes (New Zealand Playhouse); and Cancel Santa (Little Andromeda).

When she’s not on stage, Connie works as a technician at Little Andromeda Theatre. This is Connie’s second understudy role at The Court Theatre and she is very grateful to be back again.

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 and A Streetcar Named Desire.

Julian has also made props and sculpture for numerous Court Theatre productions, festivals, operas, and outdoor and street theatre.

Tina’s costume design credits for The Court Theatre include Kings of the Gym; Snap!; When the Rain Stops Falling; Ache; Plum; Stag Weekend; Shepherd; Romeo and Juliet; Exit the King; Badjelly the Witch; Macbeth; The Streaker; The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time; Titus Andronicus; Ideation; Mum’s Choir and RENT.

Her other recent costume design work includes Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella (GMG Productions); Barber and Bernstein Double Bill and Suor Angelica (Toi Toi Opera); Sweet Adelines International – Waikato Rivertones and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Barden Party). She was the Costume Co-ordinator / Standby for a recent locally made feature film with Piki Island.

Tina is a multi-award winner in the World of Wearable Art.

Matt began his career working in marketing for a major London record label. He has since worked in broadcast television and other media platforms.

Matt returned to New Zealand to co-film, record sound and compose music for an adventure guide series for TVNZ. Over the last ten years he has composed music and designed sound effects for many major brand advertising and marketing films.

Matt’s previous Court Theatre credits include Things I Know to be True; Easy Money; In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play; The Littlest Ninja; Stephen King’s Misery; Mum’s Choir; Hansel and Gretel; Thumbelina; Elling; Les Liaisons Dangereuses; The Arsonists; The Pink Hammer; A Streetcar Named Desire; The Girl on the Train and Flagons and Foxtrots.

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.

Experienced in lighting and sound, Giles started working with The Court in 1995 as a casual technician. After operating his first co-production in 1996, Giles became House Technician in 1998.

Currently Head Technician at The Court Theatre, Giles has worked on more than 50 Court productions including Amadeus; Hui; When the Rain Stops Falling; Blood Brothers; Constellations; Macbeth; Educating Rita; The Little Mermaid; Waiora: Te U Kai Po - The Homeland; The Events; Ropable; Venus in Fur; Titus Andronicus; In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play; Stephen King’s Misery; Astroman; Hedwig and the Angry Inch; The Father; Fresh Off the Boat; The Wind in the Willows; A Streetcar Named Desire; The Girl on the Train and Flagons and Foxtrots.

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 25 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 The Motor Camp; End of the Rainbow; The Hound of the Baskervilles; Blood Brothers; One Man, Two Guvnors; Shepherd; Constellations; Niu Sila; Waiora; The Events; Ropable; Steel Magnolias; Venus in Fur; Easy Money; Ideation; Stephen King’s Misery; Elling; Time Machine; Les Liaisons Dangereuses; The Arsonists; Fresh Off the Boat; A Streetcar Named Desire; Ladies Night; Frankenstein; The Girl on the Train and Flagons and Foxtrots.

Greta is a graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA; Bachelor of Performing Arts) and the International Institute of Modern Letters, Victoria University Wellington (Master of Arts).

Her previous Court Theatre credits include Legally Blonde the Musical; Snow White and The Wind in the Willows.

Greta has spent the last two years working with WITCH Music Theatre in Wellington on projects such as Sweeney Todd; ROXY and The July Project in the capacity of actor, director and choreographer.

Returning most recently to The Court Theatre as a Teaching Artist and joining the crew of RENT, Greta has enjoyed coming home to her Court Theatre whānau and is looking forward to joining the incredible team in the season of Sense and Sensibility!

Greta is a proud member of Actor’s Equity.