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The Hagley Theatre Company

Cameron Mattox —

Over the years I have been Artistic Director of The Hagley Theatre Company, I have seen many students go on to have very successful careers in the Arts.

As a pre-entry course into Toi Whakaari and UNITEC schools of acting, we have placed over one hundred students into the highly competitive courses. Many of the students have gone on to feature on television and in films. Excellent examples of such students would have to be Matt Whelan and Byron Coll.

In 2004 both Byron Coll and Matt Whelan applied to the Theatre Company to do their one year post-secondary acting course. It soon became clear that both students were eager to learn and to further develop their skill level. Each had ambition to go to Toi Whakaari at the end of the year. This is a big ask for students who have just undertaken their study with us.

Both students undertook major roles with the Hagley Theatre Company and were successful with the roles they portrayed. At the end of that year, both students were accepted into Toi Whakaari whereby they studied for their degree in acting. As we met for the final time that year, both students were extremely appreciative of the opportunity the Hagley Theatre Company gave them that year.

Matt has finished major movies in New Zealand such as "The Most Fun You can have dying" and "My wedding and other secrets". This year alone he has completed a major American mini series called "American Playboy – The Hugh Hefner story" where he played the title role of a young Hugh Hefner, as well series three of Narcos, a huge Netflix production.

Byron Coll has also been busy, working in numerous films, plays and of course television. He is best known by kiwi's as the annoying All Black fan in the current Mastercard advertisements.

A former graduate from 2002, Tania Nolan is currently featuring on "Home and Away" the popular Australian soap opera.

These are only a few examples of our success stories from past students.

Gi60x, our very successful one minute play festival, is on again on Thursday 3rd August and Friday 4th August, beginning at 7.30 p.m. As part of a special family across the world, (Brooklyn College in New York, Leeds University in the UK, and Hagley Theatre Company in Christchurch), we offer a fantastic new format for promoting local writers. In conjunction with ARA, who will be using their Broadcasting students to stream it live across the internet on facebook and You tube.

What: Gi60x

Date: Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th of August

Time: 7.30 p.m.

Where: The Open Stage, Hagley College

Cost: $10

Who: The Hagley Theatre Company; Cameron Mattox: Artistic Director