A hugely successful season

The nine performances of the 2021 PNBHS/PNGHS production "Streakin Thru the 70s" concluded on Saturday March 27. This was the show’s first outing in the southern hemisphere and audiences delighted at the nostalgic romp through the music and happenings of the 1970s.

Thanks to the team of adults, a number from outside our schools’ communities, who brought their various skills in to make this opportunity possible. Many thanks also to our generous sponsors and the prefects of both schools who ushered. 

The student Company was:

BAND: Alex Christensen – Guitar, Nicolas Dewhurst – Bass Guitar, Josh Bergerson – Drums, Jason Gui – Keyboard, Saem Milwood – Keyboard, Manu Easton - Trumpet.

CREW: Stage Managers: Thomas van Stipriaan, Saph Collis. Head Mech: Max Clough. ASMs/AHMs: Tiaki Pomana and Jonathon Hillas. HOD Light: Thomas Orr. HOD Mics: Georgia Keats. HOD Props: Kezia Gowan. HOD Fly Floor: Hunter Morton. HOD Makeup: Ally Prasitdamrong. AV/SFX Operator: Scott Du. Follow spots: Brandon Winter, Israel Bailey and Blake Worsley. Stage crew: Liam Bland, Gabe Crisp and Chamasha Kaluarachchige. Fly floor: Carter Treadwell. Props: Felix Le, Anoushka Alate, Te Kahurau Papuni-Tuhaka and Tristan Little. Muppet heads: Adelle Ballantyne. Mics: Emma Thompson, Riley Best, Jaiden Bell and Madison Jones. Sound reader: Jaiden Bell. Director's PA: Georgia Yeats. Makeup: Kadia Easton, Cam Baker, Ella Wingfield-Smith, Kyra Hapi and Brianna Stanbra. Front of House: Jaiden Bell and Gabriel Benetau.

CAST

Featured were Paris Kareko, Jacob Dredge, Jack Billing, Gabby Clarke, Josiah Luoni, Laura Lopez, Vealata Tongati’o, Tom Varney Malissa Sun, and Grayson Lodge with Alice Moir, Lara Harjes, Madeline Bevan, Alyssa Smiler, Jess Slimin, Leah Crisp, Bethany Mitchell, Georgia Kirk, Selena Ton, Aylin Atalay, Nicole Doidge, Sashini Punchihewa, Ella Mayston, Emily Gunn, Shanay Rossiter, Elizabeth Tichbon, Maddi West, Abbie Taylor, Ella Udy, Lilly Rooney, Nadia Mabey, Kaitlin Murphy, Ella Daynes, Ethan Conger, Boston James, Fraser Babb, Noah Purcell, Harry Laverick, Jack Parker, Will Tate-Davis, Callum McKinnon, Connor Puanaki, Jacob William Hince, Ezra Davis, Eli Hancock, Ben Cen, Axis Simon, Josh Webster.

Adult production personnel

Director and Production Manager: Chris Burton, Dance Director/Co-Director: Alex Hughes, Vocal Director/Co-Director: Kirsten Clark, Band Director: Danielle Joe, Costume Directors: Sally Darby, Carol Kellett, Student Company Manager: Nikki Weston; Assistant Dance Directors: Zac Maskill, Tamzin Price, Marketing Director: Rachel Wenham assisted by Brendan Lodge and Maryanne Kensington, Production Assistant: Pam Marks, Bookings and Ticketing: David Hop Wo, Pam Marks, PNBHS Finance Dept, Patronbase, Finance: David Hop Wo, Props: Saskia Gilbert, Samara Doole

Makeup and hairstyling: Sophie Belcher, Kelly Pfeffer-Marshall, Jess Lowry, Colleen Calder, Angie Baines, Lighting design: Rhys Doherty (ignz), Chris Burton, Sound design and operation: Neville Lauridsen (nlproductions), Set design: Chris Burton, Set construction: ACROW, Chris Burton, Hamish Thompson, Photography: Brendan Lodge, Melissa Renner, Logo and graphic design: Lily Bourne,

Audio visual content: Zanoor Penny, Chris Burton, Programme and advertising loop co-ordinator: Maryanne Kensington, David Hop Wo; Programme design and compilation: Rich Marshall (Computercare), Matinee arrangements: Brett Greer, Direction assistants: Sophia Parker (Helen O’Grady Drama Academy), Mark Kilsby, Publicity, website and Facebook administration: Chris Burton

Administration assistant: Hannah Taylor, Photocopying and programme printing: Rita Roydhouse,

Backstage security: Sue Taylor, PNGHS and PNBHS staff, Refreshments and programme sales: Barbara Shorter, Ann Whibley, Sara Davies, Front of House: Brett Greer, Maryanne Kensington,

Interval tea and coffee: PNBHS PTA

Award winners were:

Liz O’Connor Award for outstanding musical potential: Malissa Sun and Madeline Bevan

High Five Award for the most promising understudy: Emily Gunn

Sandra Wheeler Musicians’ Award: Josh Bergerson

Monaghan Award for excellence in theatre technology: Thomas van Stipriaan, Saph Collis, Max Clough, Thomas Orr, Georgia Yeats

Alex Hughes Award for most promising chorus dancer: Axis Simon

Cara O’Neill Award for excellence in choreographed movement: Selena Ton and Noah Purcell

Barbara Shorter Award for outstanding contribution to the senior production (winners of other awards are ineligible): Ally Prasitdamrong, Leah Crisp, William Hince, Kezia Gowan, Nicholas Dewhurst, Jacob Dredge, Grayson Lodge, Jono Hillas

Chris Burton Award for excellence in performance drama (male): Josiah Luoni (Gold), Jack Billing

Chris Burton Award for excellence in performance drama (female): Gabby Clark (Gold), Paris Kareko, Laura Lopez

Production Company Scholarships

Due to the generosity of our sponsors over recent years, this year we were delighted to be able to offer three scholarships worth $500 each to young alumni who have successfully completed at least one year of a tertiary course which is predominantly based in the Performing Arts. All three are completing a B. Performing Arts specialising in Music Theatre at NASDA – Nat Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art in Christchurch. The recipients are:

Trent Hooper: 2017 Footloose: Stage Crew, 2018 Anything Goes: Chorus, 2019 The Addams Family: Chorus

Lily Bourne: Footloose 2017 - Chorus Anything Goes 2018 Chorus, 2019 The Addams Family - Morticia Addams

Katie Atkins: 2017-Footloose Rusty; 2018-Anything Goes female lead Reno Sweeney. In 2016, her first year of being eligible for senior production, Katie auditioned unsuccessfully for Happy Days. In her application she observed: “I know that the unsuccessful audition experience helped me to develop important resilience and audition prep skills that I’m going to need in my career.” This reinforces to us the important life skills our process is imparting which go beyond developing performance skills and simply “being in the production". 

The PNBHS/PNGHS Senior Production Company is delighted to announce Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA! will be our show for 2022.

Onstage in the Speirs Centre March 17 – 26

Workshops and auditions will be in the first 3 weeks of Term 4 2021.

We are delighted to have a strong showing of current and former performers in Act 3 Productions, season of Chicago. We wish them well for their season:

Choreographer: Tegan Hardy

Cast: Alex Hughes as Velma Kelly with Ruby Jamieson, Tamzin Price, Lindsay Yeo, Ben Pryor, Leanora Potten, Finn Davidson, Annabel Orwin-Higgs, Frankie Curd, Tyler Purdy, Zac Maskill, (and from JMT, Y10 Jake Maskill)

Crew: Georgia Yeats, Eli Hancock

Wardrobe: Cara Hesselin, Eden Percy