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“Truth is the child of time,
not the prisoner of authority.” — Galileo
CAST Galileo — Michael Hurst Andrea Sarti — Ravikanth Gurunathan Cardinal Barberini/Mathematician/Pope — Rima Te Wiata Mrs Sarti/Grand Inquisitor — Hera Dunleavy Virginia Galilei — Amelia Rose Reynolds Ludovico/Singer/Border Guard/Ensemble — Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson Vice-Chancellor/Angry Cardinal/Vanni — Cameron Rhodes Philosopher/Cardinal Bellarmin/Guard Priest — Roy Ward Lady-in-Waiting/Singer/The Little Monk — Bryony Skillington Federzoni — Taungaroa Emile The Grand Duchess/Ensemble — Aleisha Merwyn Pope Dresser/Ensemble — Maia Hapakuku Ratana Clerk 1/Ensemble — Brigit Kelly Priest 1/Ensemble — Dario Kuschke Man in a Black Suit/Ensemble — Nat Dolan Clavius/Ensemble — Kalem Leckey Priest 2/Ensemble — Viivi Crossland The Official/Ensemble — Millie Manning
CREATIVE Director — Colin McColl Assistant Director — Samuel Phillips Set Designer — Sean Coyle Costume Designer — Elizabeth Whiting Lighting Designer — Jo Kilgour Composer and Sound Designer — John Gibson Video Designer — Harley Campbell 2
PRODUCTION Director of Production — Jess Leslie Company Manager — Elaine Walsh Stage Manager — Chiara Niccolini Assistant Stage Manager — Catherine Grealish Props Manager — Kathryn Aucamp Technical Manager — Robert Hunte Fly Technician — TJ Haunui Sound and AV Operators — Paris Daniel and Cameron Brown LX Operator — Stephen Paul Dresser — Siobhan Ridgley Teaching Artists — Matthew Kereama and Catherine Yates Set Construction and Installation — Pilot Productions with Ray's Theatrical Services Audio Description — Ina Patisolo and Edward Newborn NZSL Translation — Kelly Hodgins and Mark Hodgson
MUSIC ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Music, Lyrics and Piano — John Gibson Cello — Ashley Brown Song recorded by John Kim at University of Auckland's School of Music Cello and organ recorded at Auckland Town Hall thanks to The Auckland Town Hall Organ Trust and Auckland Live Music from Shona McCullagh's Dancing Ground thanks to permission from Colin Gibson and Shona McCullagh AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR HELP WITH THIS PRODUCTION: Victoria Travers, Kim Williamson, Rob Davison, Melanie Bruges and Ben Bradford from Stardome Observatory and Planetarium, Bronwyn Bradley, Sophie Ham, Ruby Carter, Richard Sorrenson, Unitec, Tracey Cochrane and the team at FAT Lighting, Ange Hume and the team at Kenderdine Electrical, Jamie Blackburn, Amanda Tito and the team at Pilot Productions, Ray Calcutt, Tejal Acharya and the team at Ray’s Theatrical Services, Lotech Media, Xytech, Evangelina Telfar, David Kilgour, Hemi Wi-Piti at New Zealand Opera, Paul Percy, Phil Sargent, Lighting Supply Company. The Life of Galileo is the fourth Auckland Theatre Company mainstage production of 2021 and opened on 24 June at ASB Waterfront Theatre. The production is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes long, including an interval. Please remember to switch off all mobile phones and noise-emitting devices. 3
Colin McColl Director of The Life of Galileo
The Life of Galileo is often referred to as ‘the Brecht play for people who don’t like Brecht’ and while it’s not a parable play like Mother Courage and Her Children, The Caucasian Chalk Circle or The Good Soul of Szechuan, the Brechtian trademarks of bold storytelling, terrific characters, a sprinkling of Marxism and ironic humour are there. It’s a play Brecht (and his many collaborators) reworked several times. The first German version premiered in Zurich in 1943 in the midst of World War II. While in exile in California, Brecht and actor Charles Laughton (together with others) worked on an English-language version. It was eventually presented in Los Angeles and New York (with Laughton as Galileo) soon after the war with Japan ended. Brecht then created a third version of the script in the early 1950s with 4
his own company, the Berliner Ensemble, set up and funded by the East German communist government. The Life of Galileo is chock-full of themes – chiefly, a scientist’s responsibility to humankind, the conflict between blind faith and reason, and the containment and dispersal of scientific knowledge by those in power. Because state authorities have tended to ignore the findings of scientists, particularly in the last few years, this Brecht play continues to have traction. Ngā mihi nui to our Auckland Theatre Company Galileo whānau for bringing this huge work to the stage. Arohanui to my cast and our student actors from the Unitec School of Creative Industries, to my Assistant Director Samuel Phillips, to my stellar design team and, especially to Michael Hurst for taking up the challenge of this huge, legendary role.
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The Playwright Bertolt Brecht
German-born playwright, poet and director, Bertolt Brecht was born in Augsburg, Germany in February 1898. Following a period working as assistant to Max Reinhardt at the famous Deutsches Theater, he established himself as a playwright and director during the 1920s and early 1930s with plays such as Baal, Man Is Man, The Threepenny Opera and The Mother. It was during this period that he started to form his theories of epic theatre which informed so much of his 6
later work. In 1930, the premier of Brecht and Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny caused a riot as the increasingly influential Nazi Party objected to its morality and critical tone. When Hitler came to power in 1933, Brecht and his wife, actress Helene Weigel, left Germany and lived in a number of European cities before eventually settling in the USA in 1941 where he remained until 1947. During the war years, he wrote many of his best-known plays, including The Life of Galileo, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Mother Courage and Her Children and The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, and also published an anthology of poetry, Poems in Exile. He returned to Europe in 1947 and, shortly after his arrival formed the Berliner Ensemble. His post-war plays include Mr Puntila and his Man Matti and an adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone. Brecht died in Berlin on 14th August 1956 and remains a hugely influential theatre practitioner throughout the world.
The Translator David Hare
Sir David Hare has written over thirty stage plays and thirty screenplays for film and television. The plays include Plenty, Pravda (with Howard Brenton), The Secret Rapture, Racing Demon, Skylight, Amy’s View, The Blue Room, Via Dolorosa, Stuff Happens, The Absence of War, The Judas Kiss, The Red Barn and The Moderate Soprano. For cinema, he has written The Hours, The Reader, Damage, Denial, Wetherby and The White Crow among others, while his television films include Licking Hitler, The Worricker Trilogy, Collateral and Roadkill. In a millennial poll of the greatest plays of the 20th century, five of the top 100 were his.
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Who’s Who? Characters in The Life of Galileo WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD!
Galileo Galilei Based on historical character
Galileo Galilei was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, regarded as the father of modern physics. He spent his life making elementary discoveries that are known by most people today, such as the law of inertia and the relationship between distance and velocity. 8
He famously used the telescope to observe the sky and saw that the moon was full of craters, and that the stars in the sky did not orbit around the Earth. The Earth was not the centre of the universe and the sky did not fit the description of a pristine heaven as described by centuries of Roman Catholic teachings. These observations threatened the religious, political and social influence of the Church in 17th-centuryItaly, which was no longer an empire and was divided into small states. In 1632, Galileo published Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, comparing the Copernican system, where the Earth and other planets orbit the sun, with the traditional Ptolemaic system, where everything in the universe circles around the Earth. Based on this book, Galileo was accused of heresy, was forced to recant his work and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. The phrase 'and yet it moves' is attributed to Galileo as a sign of his conviction to scientific truth.
Federzoni
Fictional character
The Little Monk, Fulgenzio Based on historical character Fulgenzio Micanzio
Virginia, Galileo’s daughter
Based on historical character Maria Celeste, born Virginia Galilei
Galileo’s daughter, Virginia, was a devout Catholic. She wished for her father to accept religion and resign his academic pursuits. Her engagement to Ludovico Marsili was compromised by her father’s controversial ideas. In real life, Virginia was always considered unworthy of marriage as she was born out of wedlock. She entered a convent at the age of thirteen and chose her religious name, Maria Celeste, in honour of her father’s astronomical work.
Initially one of Galileo’s many detractors, the Little Monk became Galileo’s pupil and one of his most vocal supporters within the Catholic Church. In reality, Fulgenzio Micanzio kept his friendship with Galileo and stood by him after his recantation. Through Fulgenzio (not Andrea Sarti), Galileo was able to deliver his manuscript for Discourses and Mathematical Demonstrations Relating to Two New Sciences to the Dutch publisher Elzevir. He also helped Galileo with practical matters, such as securing his pension from the Church.
Skilled lens grinder and Galileo’s friend, Federzoni, lacked formal education but was an eager supporter of Galileo’s work. Federzoni was one of the few characters who did not speak Latin, the language of higher learning and theological thought until the 18th century. Galileo made others speak in Italian when Federzoni was in the room and wrote his books in Italian, “the language of fishwives and merchants” so they could be read by people like him.
Image credit (left to right): Galileo Galilei_1635 Justus-Suttermans GalileoGalilei_Hakjosef, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons Maria Celeste_Wellcome Collection, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons (The Little Monk) Bryony Skillington. Image credit: Andi Crown (Federzoni) Taungaroa Emile. Image credit: Andi Crown
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Andrea Sarti
Mrs Sarti
Ludovico Marsili
Fictional character
Fictional character
Fictional character
Son of Galileo’s housekeeper and Galileo’s apprentice, Andrea Sarti was one of his most passionate pupils. He was devastated by Galileo’s decision to recant his research when threatened with torture by the Inquisition.
Cosima de' Medici, later The Grand Duchess
Based on historical character Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
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Cosima became Galileo’s pupil when she was an impressionable nineyear-old. Galileo named the four moons of Jupiter Mediciean Stars in honour of Cosimo II de' Medici and his three brothers. Cosimo became a patron of Galileo by appointing him court mathematician in Florence; this allowed him to dedicate more time to his research.
Galileo’s housekeeper and Andrea Sarti’s mother was a practical woman who represented the everyday person. She was hesitant about Galileo’s ideas but remained loyal to him in the mist of the plague and despite her belief that living with a heretic may have ruined her chances for eternal salvation.
Ludovico was a young nobleman who sought to be Galileo’s student hoping it would bring him fortune. He was briefly engaged to Galileo’s daughter, Virginia, but ended the engagement once he saw her father’s reputation tarnished by the Church.
Vice-Chancellor Fictional character
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Padua was interested only in the monetary value Galileo brought to his university. To the ViceChancellor, “knowledge is a commodity”. His views were representative of the free-market mentality of the Republic of Venice as well as the independence it had from the Roman Church and Catholic censorship.
Cardinal Bellarmin
Based on historical character Robert Bellarmine
One of the most respected Catholic theologians of his time, Cardinal Bellarmin ordered Galileo to stop teaching the Copernican theory as truth. He conceded to Galileo presenting his findings as mathematical hypotheses rather than fact. In 1930, he was canonised a saint.
Grand Inquisitor
Based on historical character Vincenzo Maculani
The Grand Inquisitor searched for heretics who contradicted the teachings of the Catholic faith. In the play, the Grand Inquisitor suggested to Pope Urban VIII that torture would force Galileo to recant his findings. However, records claim that, while Vincenzo Maculani was severe and uncompassionate, he thought Galileo was too old and ill to undergo torture.
Clavius, the Astronomer
Based on historical character Christopher Clavius
Christopher Clavius was the Vatican's chief scientist and one of the most distinguished astronomers of his age. Clavius was best-known for his work in the 1582 Gregorian calendar reform. Although he supported a geocentric model of the universe, he later accepted Galileo’s discoveries as correct.
Image credit (left to right): (Andrea Sarti) Ravikanth Gurunathan. Image credit: Andi Crown (Mrs Sarti) Hera Dunleavy. Image credit: Andi Crown (Ludovico Marsili) Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson. Image credit: Andi Crown (Grand Inquisitor) Vincenzo Maculani_Portrait of Vincentius Maculanus set within an oval turned left. 1641 Engraving © The Trustees of the British Museum
Cardinal Barberini, later Pope Urban VIII
Based on historical character Pope Urban VIII/Maffeo Barberini
Barberini was a lover of science who sought to reinvigorate the Church. In the play, he opposed Galileo’s torture when pressed by the Grand Inquisitor. Galileo’s Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World System used the character of Simplicio, an ignorant, literal-minded character, to voice the Church’s traditional views on the universe.
(Christopher Clavius) Clavius_Francesco Villamena, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Cosima de' Midici) Cosimo_II_de'_Medici_Various, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Vice-Chancellor) Cameron Rhodes. Image credit: Andi Crown (Cardinal Bellarmin) Portrait of kardinaal Robertus Bellarminus, MPM.VIV.110, Collectie Stad Antwerpen, Museum Plantin-Moretus. Photo: Bart huysmans and Michel Wuyts (Cardinal Barberini) Portrait of Pope Urban VIII (Maffeo_Barberini)_Caravaggio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Cast
MICHAEL HURST
RAVIKANTH GURUNATHAN
RIMA TE WIATA
MICHAEL HURST Galileo In a career spanning over 40 years, Michael Hurst has worked in theatre, film and television as both an actor and a director. After two years as a trainee at Christchurch's The Court Theatre, he spent a further three years with Auckland’s influential Theatre Corporate, where he received training and invaluable experience as a member of that company. Michael has been celebrated widely as one of New Zealand’s leading theatre actors with scores of roles to his credit, ranging from Hamlet to The Widow Twankey. He is also known for his innovative and compelling productions of Shakespeare, and, more recently, for his solo work in plays such as No Holds Bard, The Daylight Atheist and An Iliad. In 2010, he directed a wildly successful production of Cabaret for Auckland Theatre Company and followed this, in 2013, with an equally outrageous production of Chicago, starring 12
HERA DUNLEAVY
AMELIA ROSE REYNOLDS
Lucy Lawless. His own adaptation of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata played to full houses in 2015 and was received rapturously by critics. Highly regarded as a television director, he has pursued this aspect of his career for over 20 years, working on shows such as Spartacus, Westside and The Dead Lands. In 2003, he was made a New Zealand Arts Foundation Laureate and, in 2005, he was appointed as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to theatre. Michael is a proud member of Equity New Zealand. RAVIKANTH GURUNATHAN Andrea Sarti Ravi Gurunathan has been in the Auckland theatre scene for five years and thoroughly enjoys the many styles of theatre in which he has performed. Ravi believes in embracing each experience as a way to learn and excel as a performer. Theatre credits include:
For Pastor James of Lowell Park Christian Camp, The Gift of Movement (Legacy Six); Monster Mash (Dynamotion); I Ain’t Mad At Cha (WAITĪ Productions, directed by Jatinder Singh); Light vs Dark – The Adventures of Rama (ATC: Creative Learning, directed by Ahi Karunaharan); Call of the Sparrows (Proudly Asian Theatre); and The Downs & Ups of Peep and Squeak (directed by Sarah Maree Gallagher). Recently, Ravi received Best Newcomer (Collective) and Auckland Live ‘Free Your Mind’ awards, alongside the cast of I Am Rachel Chu at Auckland Fringe (2019). When not performing, Ravi indulges in quiet moments by listening to music – anything and everything. His recent discovery is the singer Brahny. RIMA TE WIATA Cardinal Barberini/Mathematician/Pope Rima Te Wiata began her theatrical life as an intern at Auckland’s Mercury Theatre, under the directorship of Jonathan Hardy and Simon Phillips, followed by training at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. This year marks Rima’s 41st in the theatre, film and television industry. She was awarded an MNZM for her services to film and television in 2017. Auckland Theatre Company shows include Billy Elliot the Musical, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Sons, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Calendar Girls, Poor Boy, The Crucible and Death of a Salesman. Most recently, Rima starred in HIR for Silo Theatre. Other Silo shows include The Book of Everything, White Rabbit Red Rabbit, Peter and the Wolf and Top Girls. Rima has had a long association with The Court Theatre, appearing in many plays and musicals over the decades. Directing credits include Middle Age Spread and The Vagina Monologues for Fortune Theatre. With Kristian Lavercombe she wrote and co-directed Matariki – Fire and Ice and collaborated with Kristian and composer Gareth Farr for their show This Holy Fire of Love, which toured with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Television work includes Golden Boy,
More Issues, Full Frontal, Westside, Shortland Street, Shark in the Park, The Billy T James Show and Sons and Daughters. Rima regularly voices characters for Harry Sinclair and Don McGlashan’s animated TV series, Kiri and Lou, and has also narrated over 30 documentaries for Natural History New Zealand. Rima recently starred in The Tender Trap, shot in New Zealand and Argentina. Accolades include Best Supporting Actress for Hunt for the Wilderpeople at the New Zealand Film Awards 2016, and Best Supporting Actress for Housebound at Fright Meter Awards (Horror Film Awards, United States) 2014. HERA DUNLEAVY Mrs Sarti/Grand Inquisitor Hera Dunleavy has worked at every professional theatre in the country and enjoyed various screen roles including In Dark Places, The Brokenwood Mysteries and The Gulf. ATC favourites include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Crucible, God of Carnage, Mary Stuart, August: Osage County and, more recently, Nell Gwynn, The Cherry Orchard and The Audience. Hera would like to acknowledge the fantastic opportunities that working with Colin McColl at ATC over the last 18 years have provided. AMELIA ROSE REYNOLDS Virginia Galilei Amelia Rose Reynolds has performed on stage in the Pop-Up Globe's Macbeth and The Comedy of Errors, Burn Her and, most recently, Red Leap Theatre's Dakota of the White Flats. Her screen credits include The Wilds, Sweet Tooth, Triangle, Mothers of the Revolution, Kiwi and Grant LaHood's short film Marieville. This is Amelia's first time performing with ATC after its production of The Miracle Worker fell victim to COVID-19. She is thrilled to be performing alongside such a skilled ensemble on such a rich text. Originally from Nelson, she has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Theatre and a PGDip in Journalism. 13
HAANZ FA'AVAE-JACKSON
CAMERON RHODES
HAANZ FA'AVAE-JACKSON Ludovico/Singer/Border Guard/Ensemble Haanz Fa'avae-Jackson is a diploma graduate of the late PIPA (Pacific Institute of Performing Arts), class of 2014. The young Pasifika actor started working under the wings of many wellestablished directors and writers (including Victor Rodger, Anapela Polataivao and Rachel House). He has performed various shows over the years: a mix of both community and professional. ATC's Still Life with Chickens, as 'Moa', was his most seasoned theatre show. It staged more than 80 shows within New Zealand, since opening in 2018, as well as two international tours: Riverside Theatre, Australia, and Shanghai Grand Theatre, China. His growth in acting has found him new passions in the world of film and screen, featuring in television commercials (Berocca, KFC), short films (The Messiah, My Friend Michael Jones), television (The Brokenwood Mysteries) and feature films (Hibiscus & Ruthless, Savage). Haanz is a passionate and driven performer and actor, and wishes to continue to further his craft to new heights, upskilling with every job, and making the most of the process. CAMERON RHODES Vice-Chancellor/Angry Cardinal/Vanni Cameron Rhodes is a graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. He has appeared in more than 100 productions, many with 14
ROY WARD
Auckland Theatre Company, including as Garfield Todd in Black Lover, Mrs Warren’s Profession, Lysistrata and The Good Soul of Szechuan. Cameron’s first professional acting job was in Brecht's The Threepenny Opera at Downstage Theatre, directed by Colin McColl. TV and film roles include The Royal Treatment feature film for Netflix, The Brokenwood Mysteries and roles in Rake and Home and Away in Australia. Cameron is a founding artistic board member of The Actors’ Program drama school and regularly teaches at the school. He also directs theatre, and coaches voice and presentation skills in the corporate world. Cameron is a proud member of Equity New Zealand. ROY WARD Philosopher/Cardinal Bellarmin/ Guard Priest Roy Ward has worked as an actor, director, writer and script editor for over 30 years. He is a former Literary Manager/Associate Director for Auckland Theatre Company and has directed several of the Company's productions: notably, Victor Rodger's My Name is Gary Cooper and Stanley Makuwe’s Black Lover. His production of Rodger's Black Faggot won Auckland Fringe Production of the Year and went on to tour nationally and internationally. Notable stage credits as an actor include The Crucible, Nell Gwynn and The Audience (all for ATC), Think of a Garden, Resident Alien (a solo show in which he
BRYONY SKILLINGTON
TAUNGAROA EMILE
appeared as ninety-year-old Quentin Crisp) and Sam Brooks’ Burn Her. Roy’s recent television credits include a recurring role as Reverend Lucas Greene in The Brokenwood Mysteries, for which he has also written scripts. BRYONY SKILLINGTON Lady-in-Waiting/Singer/ The Little Monk Bryony Skillington is a writer, actor, director and singer. Born and raised in Manchester, England, Bryony moved to New Zealand in 2001 with her family. Bryony graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (class of 2007) with a Bachelor of Performing Arts Degree in Acting. Theatre credits include five Basement Theatre Christmas Shows, most recently as Alex in sell-out season of Le Basement XXXmas Cabaret, The Blind Date Project (Silo Theatre), Not Psycho (Fractious Tash), her one-woman show Northern Glow (Basement Theatre), as Lesley in the New Zealand premiere of Billy Elliot the Musical for ATC, as Feste in Twelfth Night – winning Most Outstanding Performer of the Year – and as Witch in Into the Woods at Dunedin's Fortune Theatre. Theatre highlights include as Doris, the in-house entertainer, in the world premiere of Pleasuredome The Musical, as Deedee in the four-month run of the musical City of 100 Lovers, as Guildenstern and Mistress Overdone in Pop-Up Globe’s Australian and New Zealand tour of Hamlet and Measure for Measure. Film and TV works have included roles in The Rehearsal, Shortland Street, Paradise
Cafe, Emu, Princess Locke in the Netflix series The New Legends of Monkey, Dead, and in adverts for Warehouse Stationery, WooHoo and WorkSafe New Zealand. More recently, Bryony appears as Queenie in Jane Campion’s new film The Power of the Dog and as Caramel Apple Lady in Netflix’s new TV series Sweet Tooth. Bryony’s directing credits include Fleshies at Basement Theatre and UNINVITED at Q Theatre, for which she was awarded Best Director at 2021 Auckland Fringe. TAUNGAROA EMILE Federzoni Taungaroa Emile has worked with almost every professional theatre company in Aotearoa. He has enjoyed various roles over the years in film and television from Once Were Warriors, Jubilee, Whale Rider, No. 2, Tama Tū and, recently, Vai. His theatre experience includes Awhi Tapu, The Prophet, TU, Sunset Road, Waiora and The Night Mechanics. He has worked on Auckland Theatre Company productions including Play 2, Once on Chunuk Bair and Astroman.
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Behind the Scenes
Image credit: Andi Crown
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ORGA N IC A L LY G ROW N | V E GA N F R I E N DLY *
F L AVO U R A S NAT U R E I N T E N D E D Scan to discover how EarthGarden is grown in harmony with nature. * Excludes Pinot Noir
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Ensemble
ALEISHA MERWYN
MAIA HAPAKUKU RATANA
BRIGIT KELLY
DARIO KUSCHKE
NAT DOLAN
KALEM LECKEY
VIIVI CROSSLAND
MILLIE MANNING
The Grand Duchess/Ensemble — Aleisha Merwyn Pope Dresser/Ensemble — Maia Hapakuku Ratana Clerk 1/Ensemble — Brigit Kelly Priest 1/Ensemble — Dario Kuschke Man in a Black Suit/Ensemble — Nat Dolan Clavius/Ensemble — Kalem Leckey Priest 2/Ensemble — Viivi Crossland The Official/Ensemble — Millie Manning
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Unitec School of Creative Industries is delighted to be able to work in partnership with Auckland Theatre Company to provide the opportunity for eight students to join the ensemble of The Life of Galileo. This is one of three projects Unitec’s third-year acting students are working on at this time and provides a fantastic opportunity to grow their learning and experience through participation in a professional work. Ngā mihi nui to Colin and the ATC team for the chance to collaborate on this initiative.
Creative
COLIN McCOLL
COLIN McCOLL Director Colin McColl has directed for the Norwegian National Theatre and the Dutch National Theatre, as well as leading New Zealand and Australian theatre companies. He is the only New Zealand director to be invited to present his work (Hedda Gabler) at the official Edinburgh Festival. The production played to great acclaim and, also, was presented at other festivals around the world. Colin has won Best Director at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards several times. Colin has been directing for Auckland Theatre Company since its inaugural season in 1993 and has directed more than 50 productions for the Company. His opera-directing credits include: Quartet (New Zealand International Arts Festival 2004), La Bohème (Wellington City Opera); and The Italian Girl in Algiers, The Marriage of Figaro and The Prodigal Child (NBR New Zealand Opera). In 2009, he remounted his production of The Italian Girl in Algiers for the Scottish Opera. In November 2007, Colin was honoured for his artistic achievement and excellence at the eighth annual Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Awards. He was named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June 2010.
SAMUEL PHILLIPS
SAMUEL PHILLIPS Assistant Director Samuel Phillips is part of ATC’s Engine Room 2021. Previous assistant directing includes Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare's Globe) and The Two Noble Kinsmen (Victoria University of Wellington). Previous directing includes The Comedy of Errors (Wellington Summer Shakespeare), Punk Rock by Simon Stephens (Whitireia), Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind (BATS Theatre), Like Sex by Nathan Joe (Young & Hungry), The Angry Brigade by James Graham (19 Tory Street), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Bright Orange Walls). Samuel has also been director of the Basement Youth Company at Centrepoint Theatre and an education coordinator at Capital E providing creative outreach and digital education to young people from around New Zealand. He has been a member of the BATS Theatre board and the Wellington theatre awards panel. He trained at Victoria University of Wellington and with Long Cloud Youth Theatre.
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SEAN COYLE
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ELIZABETH WHITING
JO KILGOUR
SEAN COYLE Set Designer Sean Coyle is a Wellington-based theatre designer and educator. He is a graduate of both Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and VCA, Melbourne. He has a master's degree in Art and Design from AUT, Auckland, and a PhD from the University of Tasmania, where he also worked as a lecturer within the theatre faculty. Sean was Head of School at the Pacific Institute of Performing Arts (PIPA) in Auckland for 12 years. From 2018 to 2021, Sean was a lecturer in Scenography at Victoria University of Wellington and has recently taken up the position of Head of Design and Performing Arts Management at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. Previous designs for ATC include Paniora!, Wheeler’s Luck, The Shape of Things, The Bellbird, Polly Hood in Mumuland and Sinarella.
Company, Douglas Wright Dance Company and many others. Elizabeth was responsible for the central performance design for the World of WearableArt for six years. Her work has been presented at the Edinburgh Festival and the Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space. She won the Chapman Tripp Theatre Award for Costume Design for The Arrival (Read Leap Theatre). Her opera designs have been well reviewed in Australia and the United States. This year, she is designing The Life of Galileo and Blithe Spirit for ATC, A Stab in the Dark for Nightsong and The Most Naked (projectMUSE). She designed The Hall (Bullet Heart Club), which has just opened in Wanaka,and Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream (Indian Ink). Earlier this year, Elizabeth designed Don Pasquale for the Opera in Schools programme for New Zealand Opera.
ELIZABETH WHITING Costume Designer Elizabeth Whiting has designed costumes for Auckland Theatre Company, Silo Theatre, Nightsong, New Zealand Opera, Indian Ink, The Court Theatre, Red Leap Theatre, the New Zealand Dance Company, Okareka Dance
JO KILGOUR Lighting Designer Jo Kilgour is an Auckland-based lighting designer and technical/production director with extensive experience both nationally and internationally. Her recent lighting design credits include: The Haka Party Incident;
JOHN GIBSON
HARLEY CAMPBELL
Six Degrees of Separation; Filthy Business; Under the Mountain; Nell Gwynn; Amadeus; The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime (ATC); Sigan; The Fibonacci; Matter; Brouhaha; The Geography of an Archipelago; In Transit (The New Zealand Dance Company); Don Giovanni (Wellington Opera); Semele (New Zealand Opera); Once (Peach Theatre Company); Leeches (Aloalii Tapu & Friends); and La Traviata, Cav+Pag (Festival Opera). JOHN GIBSON Composer and Sound Designer John Gibson has enjoyed collaborating with Colin McColl for many years. Scores for Auckland Theatre Company include The Master Builder in 2020, The Good Soul of Szechuan, The Doll's House, Awatea, On the Upside Down of the World and many others. This year John composed the score for the film Coming Home in the Dark which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2021. In 2008, he won a New Zealand Film and Television Award for Achievement in Original Music in Film for his work on Vincent Ward’s Rain of the Children. He is currently in the final stages of a solo album, Blow for Humanity.
HARLEY CAMPBELL Video Designer Over the course of his 10-year career as a designer and motion graphics artist, Harley Campbell has produced graphics and visual effects for a range of different projects. He has also worked extensively in the events and experiential industry, bringing his creative vision to large-scale conferences, awards shows and interactive multimedia performances. Harley’s first foray into the world of theatre was for the 2018 ATC production of Rendered. Since then, Harley has designed media for the 2019 productions Joan and Astroman, as well as the 2021 production Single Asian Female.
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THE LIFE OF GALILEO
Accessible Performances
NZSL Interpreter Kelly Hodgins.
All mainstage shows in the Auckland Theatre Company 2021 season have an NZSLInterpreted and an AudioDescribed performance to give Deaf and hard-ofhearing, and blind and lowvision patrons the opportunity to enjoy our shows. Audio-described and NZSLinterpreted performances are open to all and are presented the same way as is a regular performance.
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Audio describer Nicola Owen, The Sleeping Beauty for the Royal New Zealand Ballet audio-described Touch Tour and School Matinee Performance, 5 November 2020. Photo credit and copyright: Stephen A'Court
HEARING ASSISTANCE T-Loop radio frequency systems are installed inside the auditorium at ASB Waterfront Theatre. These amplify the sound of the performance for hearing aids. ASB Waterfront Theatre has a listener unit available on request.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE SEATS We have wheelchair-accessible seats for all performances.
NEW ZEALAND SIGN LANGUAGE (NZSL)INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE For Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons Saturday 10 July, 2.00pm Auckland Theatre Company partners with Platform Interpreting NZ to provide New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL)-interpreted performances for Deaf and hard-ofhearing patrons. Trained interpreters translate the script prior to the performance. They work closely with the cast and crew to incorporate the director’s vision and the actors’ tone, attitude, and body language into their final translation. During the performance, the interpreters usually stand on one side of the stage interpreting into NZSL for Deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons in the audience.
AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE AND TOUCH TOUR For blind and low-vision patrons Sunday 4 July, 4.00pm Audio-described performances provide a live audio commentary by professionals from Audio Described Aotearoa Ltd recounting the actions on stage. This commentary is relayed to blind and low-vision patrons via an earpiece which can be booked in advance at no extra charge and picked up from the theatre box office. Touch Tour 4 July, 2.30pm Touch Tours are held 90 minutes before the show. Patrons can walk through the set, touch props, feel costumes and familiarise themselves with visual and sensory materials in the performance.
HOW TO BOOK All tickets to accessible performances are $20 each for the Deaf and blind/low-vision communities. One companion ticket per theatregoer is also available for $20. Please contact the box office on 0800 282 849 or email boxoffice@atc.co.nz to book audio-described or NZSL-interpreted performances, Touch Tours and wheelchairaccessible seats, or if you have any special requirements.
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Join Us Our supporters are part of the change they want to see in the world, enriching their lives and the lives of others, and leaving a legacy for generations to come. A Supporting Act
An ATC Patron
Contact
Applause <$200
$2,000+ (annual commitment) ATC Patrons receive access to an annual programme of exclusive Patrons’ events, VIP offers and priority ticketing
To speak to us directly about becoming an ATC supporter, please contact Natalya Mandich-Dohnt: natalya@atc.co.nz
Take A Bow $200+ Curtain Call $500+ Standing Ovation $1,000+
ATC PATRONS CO-CHAIRS:
Lady Dayle Mace MNZM and Hon Justice Anne Hinton QC
Margot & Alastair Acland, Margaret Anderson, John Barnett CNZM, Betsy & Michael Benjamin, Louise & Mark Binns, Patrick Bourke, Nicole & Guy Domett, Annette & Kim Ellis, Jan & Trevor Farmer, Sir Michael Friedlander KNZM, Andrew Gelonese & Michael Moore, Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Joséphine & Ross Green, Anne & Peter Hinton, Dame Rosie Horton DNZM & Michael Horton CNZM, Peter & Sally Jackson, Heather & Len Jury, Anita Killeen & Simon Vannini, Paulette & Ross Laidlaw, Chris Lambert & Philippa Smith Lambert, Margot & Paul Leigh, Sir Chris Mace KNZM & Lady Dayle Mace MNZM, Peter Macky & Yuri Opeshko, Stella McDonald, Pip Muir & Kit Toogood QC, Matthew Olde & Jacqui Cormack, Prue & Denver Olde, Heather Pascual, Maria Renhart, Fran & Geoff Ricketts, Lynne Webber & Priscilla McGirr, Ian Webster, Dona & Gavin White, Fran Wyborn, Annemarie Yannaghas & Andy Morris PATRONS:
HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE FRIEDLANDER FOUNDATION FOR ITS GENEROSITY. 24
ATC 2021 SUPPORTING ACTS Sandy & Alan Bulmer, Annmarie & Andrew Guest, Rob Nicoll, Jay & Robyn Stead STANDING OVATION:
Geoff Dalbeth, Guy & Nicole Domett, Anne Hargreaves, Rosemary Langham, Arend Merrie, Brian & Pam Stevenson CURTAIN CALL:
Nick Francis & Stephanie van Leuven, Klaus & Dagmar Girardet, Sandra Greenfield, Don & Lyn Jaine, Len & Heather Jury, Paul & Bev Le Grice, Murray & Sue Lee, John & Barbara Lindsay, Anonymous (3) TAKE A BOW:
Jennifer Austin, Dale Bailey, Simon Botherway, Tracy Brown, John Clark, Mike Cronin, Nicolene Du Toit, Jock & Jane Ferguson, Joséphine & Ross Green, Dianne Hatch, Anthony Howell, Linda Hutchings, Mark & Melinda Levene, Caroline List, Judy & Allen McDonald, Arend Merrie, Robert & Freda Narev, Shona & Barry Old, Maris O'Rourke, Ewan Price, Hon John Priestley, Sheryl Ratcliffe, Anthea & Peter Springford, Malcolm Walker, Mike & Debbie Whale, Sylvana Whyborn, Anonymous (3) APPLAUSE:
SUMMER SCHOOL SUPPORTERS For the 14th edition of the Auckland Theatre Company Summer School in January 2021 a collective of private supporters came together under the leadership of ATC Patrons Peter and Yuri to turbocharge the School for a new era. The generosity of the Supporters Group meant the School can be significantly expanded in 2021 with more students, a performance for families, and greater resources for tutors and teaching artists; most importantly, all students can now attend the school at no cost. Stephen Allen Family, Andy Eakin & Paul Boakes, The late Adrian Burr, Easy Cycling Tours Limited, Joséphine & Ross Green, Kaiserbahnhof Halbe Limited, Peter Macky & Yuri Opeshko, Rūrangi Cast and Crew, Richard & Angela Seton SPONSORS:
David Alison & Gerard Murphy, Stephen & Brenda Allen, Margaret Anderson, Patrick Bourke, David Bower, Jeanne Clayton, Nicholas & Sarah Cole, Anne Coney, John & Janet Cotching, Heather & Clive Elliott, Ron Elliott & Mark Tamagni, Sarah Fay, Martin & Sarah Gillman, Wayne Goodman, Pamela Grant, Alister Hartstonge & Roy Knill, Anne & Peter Hinton, André Hodgskin & John Lee, Greg Larsen & Mark Corrigal, Lisa McCarty, Judy Millar, William Peake, Robyn & Malcolm Reynolds, Angus & Jenny Rogers, Eric Spencer, Ian & Roberta Varcoe, Jo & Roger Wall, Ian Webster, K Woodruffe & S Dorner, Sarah Yates, Anonymous (5) SUPPORTERS:
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What's On AT ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Auckland Theatre Company presents
Things That Matter
by Gary Henderson, adapted from the memoir by Dr David Galler
17 – 29 Aug
New Zealand Opera and Black Grace present a re-imagining of Gluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice, directed by Neil Ieremia.
(m)Orpheus 22 – 26 Sep
New Zealand playwright Gary Henderson brings Dr David Galler’s best-seller to the stage, expertly weaving stories of his work on the frontlines of New Zealand’s health system at Middlemore Hospital and of his Jewish Polish immigrant parents, who survived the Holocaust. With dramatised incidents to immerse us in an insider’s realities of intensive care, Things That Matter explores the most challenging decisions that doctors, families and society face. The book is available to purchase from ASB Waterfront Theatre box office.
In a dislocated future, a young man struggles to come to terms with his loss. As he did during the riteof-passage ritual he endured on his journey to manhood, he must once again leave this world behind and escape into the unknown to find his love. Blending rich storytelling traditions with the themes of Greek tragedy, (m)Orpheus tells a story of a man, willing to risk everything for love but unable to find love in himself.
Auckland Theatre Company presents the Dentons Kensington Swan season of
Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward
9 – 28 Nov
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When writer Charles Condomine visits spiritualist Madame Arcati to research his new book, what could possibly go wrong? That is, other than the resulting seance bringing Charles’ dead wife Elvira back to Earth – a development that doesn’t sit well with his new partner, particularly as Elvira’s attempts to reunite with her husband escalate.
Production Suppliers
Preferred Supplier
At Regal Drycleaners, our goal is to help you feel good by looking good. You can book a pick-up online with Regal Direct or find us in Newmarket, Ponsonby, Eastridge and Takapuna. 27
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ADMINISTRATION
Chair: Vivien Bridgwater Karen Fistonich Isaac Hikaka Katie Jacobs Derek McCormack Graeme Pinfold Alison Quigan QSM
Head Of Strategy: Natasha Pearce
LEADERSHIP Chief Executive Officer: Jonathan Bielski Executive Director: Anna Cameron CREATIVE Creative Director 2021 Season: Colin McColl ONZM Associate Director 2021 Season: Lynne Cardy Literary Manager: Philippa Campbell Schools & Youth Coordinator: Billie Staples PRODUCTION
Development Coordinator: Natalya Mandich-Dohnt Ticketing Project Manager: Gary Barker ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE Director, ASB Waterfront Theatre: Sharon Byrne Events & Sales Manager: Tracey Rowe Acting Events & Sales Manager: Lucy Gardner Front of House Manager: Ralph Corke Acting Ticketing Manager: Lexi Clare Ticketing Administrator: Bruce Brown Venue Technical Manager: Johnny Chen Senior Venue Technician: Antonia Richardson Front of House Supervisors: Caoimhe Fidgeon, Lucas Haugh, Gary Hofman, Sofi Issake-Sade, Rachael Yielder ----------------
Director, Production: Jess Leslie Company Manager: Elaine Walsh
CONTACT ATC
Producer: Philippa Neels
487 Dominion Road, Mt Eden PO Box 96002 Balmoral, Auckland 1342
MARKETING Director, Marketing: Joanna O'Connor Marketing and Audience Development Manager: Nicola Brown Graphic Designer: Wanda Tambrin Publicist: Vanessa Preston Marketing Executives: Camila Araos Elevancini, Isabella Woods FINANCE Director, Finance: Kerry Tomlin Senior Accountant: Nick Tregerthan Senior Accounts Administrator: Michelle Speir Administration Coordinator: Jade McCann
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P: 09 309 0390 F: 09 309 0391 atc@atc.co.nz atc.co.nz CONTACT BOX OFFICE ASB Waterfront Theatre 138 Halsey Street Wynyard Quarter Subscriber Hotline: 09 309 3395 General Box Office: 0800 ATC TIX (282 849) boxoffice@atc.co.nz
GOLD PARTNERS
THE CHARTWELL TRUST LOU & IRIS FISHER CHARITABLE TRUST PUB CHARITY
SILVER PARTNERS
TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS
PROJECT FUNDERS
PROJECT PARTNERS
PLATINUM PARTNERS
MAJOR FUNDERS
FOUNDING CORPORATE PARTNERS
FOUNDATION PARTNERS
THANKS TO THE SUPPORTERS OF THE
SIR JOHN LOGAN CAMPBELL RESIDUARY ESTATE SKYCITY AUCKLAND COMMUNITY TRUST
FOUNDING BENEFACTORS, PATRONS AND DONORS
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“It's as if a poet had been commissioned to write an episode of ER.” ELIZABETH EASTER, NEW ZEALAND LISTENER, ON THE MEMOIR BY DR DAVID GALLER
Dr David Galler
Things That Matter by Gary Henderson adapted from the memoir by Dr David Galler
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17 – 29 AUG
0800 ATC TIX / atc.co.nz
P R INCIPA L F U ND E R S: