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CAST Queen Elizabeth II — Theresa Healey The Equerry — Paul Barrett Winston Churchill/Arch Bishop (voice over) — Ian Mune Harold Wilson — Cameron Rhodes Margaret Thatcher/Bobo — Hera Dunleavy David Cameron/Tony Blair/Cecil Beaton/Security Man — Adam Gardiner John Major/Anthony Eden — Roy Ward Gordon Brown/James Callaghan/Security Man/Private Secretary — Mark Wright Young Elizabeth — Nathalie Morris
CREATIVE Playwright — Peter Morgan Director — Colin McColl Costume and Set Designer — Tracy Grant Lord Lighting Designer — Sean Lynch Sound Designer — Adrian Hollay
PRODUCTION Production Manager — Andrew Malmo Company Manager — Elaine Walsh Stage Manager — Karena Letham Assistant Stage Manager — Maddy Powell Technical Manager — Kevin Greene Technical Operator — Zach Howells Sound Operator — Paris Daniel Props Master — Selina Ershadi Costume Supervisor — Debbie Thearle Wigs — Abi Taylor Dresser — Rosalind Sinel Vocal Coach — Linda Cartwright Set Construction — 2Construct AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR HELP WITH THIS PRODUCTION: The Cut, Jenny Yang, Graeme Thomson Antique and Estate Jewellery. The ASB season of The Audience is the fourth Auckland Theatre Company mainstage production for 2019 and opened on May 10 at ASB Waterfront Theatre. The production is approximately 2 hours 10 minutes long and includes a 20-minute interval. Please remember to switch off all mobile phones and noise-emitting devices. 1
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Colin McColl Artistic Director Auckland Theatre Company
Welcome to the New Zealand premiere of the ASB season of The Audience. Whatever you feel about the relevance of the British royal family, there’s no argument that Elizabeth II has done a marvellous job in her 67 years as Queen. In 1947, at the age of 21, she made her famous “I serve” speech to the Commonwealth from South Africa, in which she declared “that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be dedicated to the service of this great Imperial family to which we all belong”. She’s certainly fulfilled that a hundred-fold. Mere mortals like us seem to have a continual fascination with what goes on behind the gilded doors of Buckingham Palace. What is the royal family like when it is not “on show”? When Peter Morgan was working on the screenplay for The Queen – the film about the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death – he became intrigued by the Queen’s private weekly audiences with her prime ministers. What have they talked about? What secrets were shared? “The Queen is known to have struggled to stay awake with Heath and
MacMillan (both famous bores), actively disliked Blair and Thatcher (though Buckingham Palace dutifully denies this) and had a soft spot for losers (two of her favourites – Major and Wilson – regularly come bottom in rankings for the most effective PMs of the 20th century).” – Peter Morgan Theresa Healey does a marvellous job, too, in her recreation of the Queen: no mean feat to portray one of the world’s best-known figures from age 27 to age 86. Theresa has had to live, eat and breathe Elizabeth Windsor for months now and her intelligent, goodnatured dedication to the huge task has been a joy to see. Huge thanks to Theresa and all the cast, and to our designers, and our creative, production and stage management teams. We’ve had great fun discovering little-known facts about the British prime ministers and gleaning what we can about Elizabeth II’s attitude to them. So, sit back and enjoy this audience with the Queen. 3
behind the scenes
Image credit: Brad Fisher
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Cast THERESA HEALEY Queen Elizabeth II Theresa Healey first came to prominence in Alison Maclean’s celebrated short film Kitchen Sink but is probably better known for her five years as Nurse Carmen Roberts in Shortland Street. Other television appearances have included parts in Filthy Rich, Go Girls, Harry, The Blue Rose and Agent Anna. Theresa also investigated her Irish heritage in the documentary series Here to Stay and had leading roles in the films Vermilion, Jubilee and Savage Honeymoon. Theresa’s previous appearances for Auckland Theatre Company include Closer, Honour, Three Tall Women, Uncle Vanya, Calendar Girls and Trees Beneath the Lake, and has appeared in Tartuffe for Silo Theatre. Theresa has taken the last 18 months off from acting to team up with Deborah Hill Cone to write a five-part psychological thriller, which has been optioned and will go into production later this year. PAUL BARRETT The Equerry Paul Barrett is an actor, pianist, vocal coach and voice artist. He obtained a Bachelor of Music (Hons) from Victoria University and 6
made his professional debut as an actor in 1980 at Circa Theatre, Wellington. For Auckland Theatre Company, his credits include Twelfth Night, Masterclass, Art, Foreskin’s Lament, She Stoops to Conquer, Little Shop of Horrors, Caligula, Waiting for Godot, A Christmas Carol, Spreading Out, Mum’s Choir, The Bach, End of the Rainbow, Cabaret and Noises Off. Other theatre credits include Long Day’s Journey into Night, Shadowlands, The Merchant of Venice and Uncle Vanya for The Court Theatre, Christchurch; The Goat, Take Me Out and Under Milk Wood for Silo Theatre, Auckland; Chinchilla, Private Lives, As You Like It and Tribes for Fortune Theatre, Dunedin; and Hamlet, The Threepenny Opera for The Large Group, Auckland. As Musical Director, Paul has worked on Assassins and Jacques Brel for Silo Theatre and Gypsy, She Loves Me and Big River for The Court Theatre. He has sung principal roles in La Cage aux Folles, HMS Pinafore and The Merry Widow. Over the last few years, Paul has performed in eight national tours, including South Pacific, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, Grease, The Buddy Holly Story and Saturday
THERESA HEALEY
IAN MUNE
Night Fever as either Musical Director or singer/actor. IAN MUNE Winston Churchill/ Arch Bishop (voice over) Ian Mune began his professional acting career as a founding member of Downstage Theatre in Wellington in 1964, spent two years with the Welsh Theatre Company and then became a member of the Mercury Theatre Company, where he also taught and directed. After co-writing (with Arthur Baysting) and acting in New Zealand movie Sleeping Dogs, he focused on acting, writing and directing for film and TV before returning to the stage to play King Lear in 1996 and Big Daddy in Colin McColl’s Downstage Theatre production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Ian directed Once on Chunuk Bair for Auckland Theatre Company in 2014. He is enjoying returning to the stage and working with Colin again for Auckland Theatre Company. CAMERON RHODES Harold Wilson Cameron Rhodes is a graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (1987; fellow classmates include Robyn Malcolm and
PAUL BARRETT
CAMERON RHODES
Kerry Fox. He has appeared in more than 80 productions, many with Auckland Theatre Company, including Mrs Warren’s Profession, Lysistrata and The Importance of Being Earnest. Cameron’s first professional acting job was in The Threepenny Opera at Downstage Theatre directed by Colin McColl. TV and film roles include lawyer Jonathan Krebs in In Dark Places, Farmer Maggot in The Lord of the Rings, Head Monk in the Netflix series The New Legends of Monkey, 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. HERA DUNLEAVY Margaret Thatcher/Bobo A graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, Hera Dunleavy has worked for all of New Zealand’s professional theatre companies. Highlights include The Master Builder, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Proof, Top Girls
HERA DUNLEAVY
and The Blue Room. Shows with Auckland Theatre Company include Uncle Vanya, God of Carnage, The Crucible, August: Osage County, Calendar Girls, Midnight in Moscow, Rupert, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Nell Gwynn and The Cherry Orchard. Hera’s most-recent appearance was in Filthy Business. ADAM GARDINER David Cameron/Tony Blair/ Cecil Beaton/ Security Man Adam Gardiner’s first production with Auckland Theatre Company was in 2003 with performances in Play 2.03, New Gold Dream and Ladies’ Night. He has worked with Auckland Theatre Company on numerous productions and in various capacities since then. His most recent appearances for ATC have been in Other Desert Cities, Midnight in Moscow, Black Confetti, In the Next Room (or the Vibrator Play), Rupert, Polo, the Troll King in Peer Gynt [recycled] and Filthy Business. Recent screen credits include Mahana, Born to Dance, Pike River, Friday Night Bites, Agent Anna, Hillary, Dear Murderer, 1953, The Brokenwood Mysteries,
ADAM GARDINER
ROY WARD
Thomas Jefferson in The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen and The Luminaries. ROY WARD John Major/Anthony Eden Roy Ward has worked as an actor, director, writer and script editor/ advisor for over thirty years. He is a former Literary Manager/ Associate Director for Auckland Theatre Company and has directed several ATC productions, notably Victor Rodgers’ My Name is Gary Cooper. His production of Rodgers’ Black Faggot won Auckland Fringe Production of the Year and went on to tour nationally and internationally. Notable stage credits include The Crucible and Nell Gwynn for ATC and Think of Garden for TAPA and Resident Alien, a solo show in which he appeared as ninety-year-old Quentin Crisp. His most recent stage appearance was as a disgraced politician in Sam Brooks’ Burn Her. Television credits include recurring roles on Shortland Street, Go Girls, Dirty Laundry, Dear Murderer and several series of The Brokenwood Mysteries in which he plays Reverend Lucas Greene.
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MARK WRIGHT
MARK WRIGHT Gordon Brown/ James Callaghan/ Security Man/ Private Secretary After graduating from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, Mark Wright worked extensively in professional theatre throughout New Zealand. Highlights include Pass it On, The Threepenny Opera, Foreskin’s Lament, Aunt Daisy, Judy, Othello, Suspect, The Rocky Horror Show, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Way of Life and The Underwater Melon Man. Mark’s television career spans nearly 40 different series. He is best remembered for his impersonations of New Zealand politicians and personalities on Issues and More Issues with McPhail and Gadsby. His portrayal of the likes of Ruth Richardson, Mike Moore and Richard Long won him two New Zealand film and television awards. Mark recently returned to the professional stage, appearing in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (The Court Theatre), Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography (Silo Theatre), Ropable (Centrepoint Theatre) and The Dinner (Circa Theatre). An accomplished improv exponent, Mark has represented New Zealand internationally and is a founding member of The Improvisors in Wellington. 8
NATHALIE MORRIS
NATHALIE MORRIS Young Elizabeth Nathalie Morris is a 2018 graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School; she has also trained at the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards in Italy, and with the Canberra Youth Theatre. Throughout her training, Nathalie has played in productions of Romeo and Juliet, The Glass Menagerie, Once on This Island, The Wolves and 4.48 Psychosis, and in the developments and productions of several new Australian plays. Nathalie recently performed in her first self-written show, I Never Thought I’d Have to Explain it All, which premiered at the 2019 NZ Fringe Festival in Wellington. Her screen work includes short film The Imposter by Chelsie Preston Crayford and web series The Basement.
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PETER MORGAN Playwright Peter Morgan CBE is one Britain’s most celebrated and influential screenwriters. He is the creator behind the highly acclaimed and Golden Globe-winning Netflix series The Crown, chronicling the inside story of Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street. Winning awards on both sides of the Atlantic, the series has been praised as raising the bar in cinematic television. Morgan has been recognised multiple times by the American and British television academies for his writing, receiving multiple BAFTA and Emmy nominations for the series. The Crown was inspired by Morgan’s Tony award winning play The Audience, as well as the Oscar-winning film The Queen, both starring Helen Mirren. The Queen garnered Morgan an Oscar and BAFTA nomination for Best Screenplay. Morgan’s illustrious career also include the awardwinning and Tony-nominated play Frost/Nixon which received critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic before being adapted into a multi Academy Award-nominated film of 10
the same name. The film garnered five Oscar Award nominations, including Best Screenplay. Morgan’s many other film credits include the award-winning The Last King of Scotland, The Damned United and Rush, directed by Ron Howard. In 2017, Morgan was awarded the BFI Fellowship, the institute’s highest honour and the RTS recognised The Crown with a special award in 2018 for its Contribution to British Television. 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 – including for his Circa Theatre production of A Doll’s House. In 2015, Colin directed Emily
Image credit: Des Willie/Netflix
Creative
PETER MORGAN
Perkins’ new version of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House for Auckland Theatre Company. 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 achievements and excellence at the eighth annual Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate Awards. He was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in June 2010. TRACY GRANT LORD Costume and Set Designer Tracy Grant Lord is a costume and set designer of ballet, opera and theatre, based in Auckland and working with the region’s major performance companies. Recently completed world premieres
COLIN MCCOLL
TRACY GRANT LORD
include Liam Scarlett’s Dangerous Liaisons for Queensland Ballet and Tchaikovsky: The Man Behind the Music for Ma Cong and Tulsa Ballet. Her upcoming work includes The Barber of Seville, a co-production with New Zealand Opera, Seattle Opera and Opera Queensland and designs for Thomas de Mallet Burgess’ The Turn of the Screw for New Zealand Opera, which premieres later this year. Other recent designs include A Doll’s House Part 2 for Melbourne Theatre Company and Twelfth Night for Queensland Theatre. Her work has been toured throughout the United Kingdom, China and South-east Asia; these works include Christopher Hampson’s Cinderella for Scottish Ballet, Romeo and Juliet for Royal New Zealand Ballet, which received an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Dance Production in the UK, and Liam Scarlett’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Queensland Ballet and the Royal New Zealand Ballet. Tracy has received Helpmann Award nominations for In the Next Room (Sydney Theatre Company) and The Importance of Being
SEAN LYNCH
Earnest (Melbourne Theatre Company) and designed Billy Elliot the Musical (Auckland Theatre Company), the inaugural production at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. Tracy is a Winston Churchill Fellow, has a bachelor’s degree in Spatial Design and her work has been shown at both the Prague Quadrennial and World Stage Design exhibitions. SEAN LYNCH Lighting Designer Sean Lynch has been working in New Zealand professional theatre for more than 30 years. He is a musician, actor, and lighting and sound designer. Previous sound designs include Havoc in the Garden, Flintlock Musket, Yours Truly, I Love You Bro, Tribes, The Pitchfork Disney, The Heretic, Polo and Hir. Previous lighting designs include Brel, Speaking in Tongues, Chicago, Angels in America, Belleville, A Streetcar Named Desire, Once on Chunuk Bair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Hudson & Halls Live!, The Book of Everything, Live Live Cinema’s Little Shop of Horrors and Hir.
ADRIAN HOLLAY
ADRIAN HOLLAY Sound Designer Creating evocative, atmospheric and melodic music is Adrian Hollay’s main motivation as a composer. Over the past decade, he has written music for theatre and films in New Zealand and in his native Germany. Adrian has, most recently, composed works for Melbournebased classical music trio Plexus and solo violinist Sarah Curro, and, in 2018, he launched the electropop project, Boskermusic.com. In addition, Adrian is an accomplished and award-winning music producer and sound engineer. His recordings have been released on music labels Naxos and Atoll, as well as being broadcast on public radio stations across the globe. In 2017 his work was awarded Silver at the New York Festivals Best Radio Program Awards. Proud of his strong relationship with Auckland Theatre Company, Adrian has designed sound and composed music for the company’s productions of Filthy Business, The Glass Menagerie, Other Desert Cities, Anne Boleyn and The Gift. To find out more, visit hollay.com 11
Who’s Who?
Queen Elizabeth II The Head of the Commonwealth and the Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, she ascended the throne in 1952 at 25 years old.
The Equerry The equerry is considered one of the most important positions in the royal household; his attendance is required at official engagements at Buckingham Palace and on the road. The position is reserved for an officer of one of the armed services and lasts for a period of three years. The most famous equerry to date is Captain Peter Townsend, whose affair with Princess Margaret (Queen Elizabeth II’s sister) entertained the tabloids for months. Queen Elizabeth II’s current equerry is Major Nana Kofi TwumasiAnkrah (pictured). Image credit: Katie Chan, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Bobo MacDonald Young Elizabeth’s Scottish nanny. Her real name was Margaret but ‘Bobo’ was said to be one of the first words Queen Elizabeth II ever spoke. She served the Queen for 67 years moving from nursery maid to dresser. Sir Cecil Beaton One of the foremost photographers of the 20th century, Cecil Beaton was best known for his elegant and unusual shots of celebrities and royalty. His photographs of the British royal family were central to shaping the monarchy’s public image in the mid-20th century.
Sir Winston Churchill Her Majesty’s first prime minister, he served from 1940-1945 and from 1951-1955, and was Leader of the Conservative Party. Winston Churchill was an inspirational statesman, writer, orator and leader, who led Britain to victory in the Second World War.
Sir Anthony Eden Her Majesty’s second prime minister, he served from 1955-1957 and was Leader of the Conservative Party. Sir Anthony Eden is best known for his controversial handling of the Suez crisis in 1956, during the second year of his premiership.
Baron Harold Wilson Her Majesty’s fifth prime minister, he served from 1964-1970 and from 19741976, and was Leader of the Labour Party. From humble beginnings, Harold Wilson was known as Britain’s first television prime minister. Having the common touch, Wilson instigated social change, including homosexual law reform, abolishing the death penalty and creating The Open University.
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James Callaghan Her Majesty’s seventh prime minister, he served from 1976-1979 and was Leader of the Labour Party. James Callaghan is the only British politician to have served in all four of the great offices of state – Chancellor of the Exchequer, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary and prime minister. However, he is mainly remembered for “the winter of discontent” of 1978-1979. During a very cold winter, his battle with trade unions led to immense strikes that seriously inconvenienced the public.
Tony Blair Her Majesty’s 10th prime minister, he served from 19972007 and was Leader of the Labour Party. He is credited with “saving the monarchy” after the death of Diana and negotiating the Good Friday Agreement, bringing peace to Northern Ireland. Tony Blair is ultimately remembered for leading The United Kingdom to war in Iraq on the unproven claims of Saddam Hussein’s possession of weapons of mass destruction. 14
Image credit: LittleMissSilly, CC BY 2.0
Baroness Margaret Thatcher Her Majesty’s eighth prime minister, she served from 1979-1990 and was Leader of the Conservative Party. Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the ‘Iron Lady’, was the first female British prime minister and the longest-serving PM for more than 150 years. She fought the odds stacked against her as a woman to demand a place in a maledominated environment.
Sir John Major Her Majesty’s ninth prime minister, he served from 1990-1997 and was Leader of the Conservative Party. Sir John Major oversaw Britain’s longest period of continuous economic growth and the beginning of the Northern Ireland peace process.
Image credit: CC0
Gordon Brown Her Majesty’s 11th prime minister, he served from 2007-2010 and was Leader of the Labour Party. Gordon Brown’s premiership coincided with the global recession, during which he called for fiscal action in an attempt to stimulate aggregate demand. Brown wrote Beyond the Crash, which discusses the 2007– 2008 financial crisis and his recommendations for future coordinated global action. Image credit: Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0.
David Cameron Her Majesty’s 12th prime minister, he served from 2010-2016, was Leader of the Conservative Party and was Britain’s youngest prime minister since the 1810s. A revolutionary leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron sought to modernise the party and shed its right-wing image. His government legalised same-sex marriage, oversaw the referendum on Scottish Independence and introduced austerity measures in response to the global financial crisis. He will ultimately be remembered for introducing the referendum on Britain remaining in the European Union and then resigning rather than implementing Brexit. Image credit: Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0
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The Audience by Max Cryer
Premiered in 2013, The Audience is a fictional recounting of the weekly one-on-one ‘audiences’ given by Queen Elizabeth II to prime ministers from her accession in 1952 onwards. Starting with Sir Winston Churchill, The Audience focuses on nine of the 13 prime ministers in office during the Queen’s reign, up to the time when the play was written.
One performance of the original London production, starring Dame Helen Mirren as the Queen, was telecast in Britain and its 80,000 viewers broke the existing record at that time, for the highest number of people watching a production live. The Audience has now also been staged in the United States, Canada and Russia.
April 5, 1955 - London, England, U.K. - Sir Winston Churchill (November 30, 1874 January 24, 1965) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom as well as Chancellor of the Exchequer. PICTURED: Churchill and Lady Clementine Churchill dine with Queen Elizabeth II. (Image credit: © KEYSTONE Pictures USA). Image licensed via Alamy Stock Photo.
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In 1936, on 11 December, the life of 10-year-old Princess Elizabeth of York changed direction. Her uncle, King Edward VIII, abdicated from the throne of Britain… unmarried and with no children as heirs to his throne. Overnight, Edward’s brother George, Elizabeth’s father, became King – and the 10-year-old princess was immediately first in line to succeed to the throne. Nothing would ever be the same again.
It was rapidly established that anything discussed in the ‘audience’ would never reach outside ears. As heir presumptive, straight away it was arranged that the 10-year-old start taking lessons in constitutional history and law, plus religious study, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, and several languages. Her preparation for monarchy lasted for the following 16 years.
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In 1952, King George VI died – while his daughter Elizabeth was in Kenya up a high tree in a viewing area, watching dusk-time animals below. On the way up the tree, she was a Princess. When she came down, she was a Queen. A black frock had to be conveyed quietly to London airport, and discreetly spirited into the landed flight from Kenya, so she could emerge from the plane appropriately dressed... and with a new title. She was now, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Her other Realms and Territories, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith. Throughout prior history, there was no pattern of the monarch having regular private discussions with the prime minister. But Elizabeth’s father, George VI, had often invited PM Winston Churchill to lunch, for totally informal discussion about current matters of the nation and the Empire. Elizabeth took this a step further. Her father’s informal lunches (probably with servants in attendance) were restructured as regular, weekly ‘audiences’, strictly one-on-one, with nobody else present: just PM and monarch. It was rapidly established that anything discussed in the ‘audience’
would never reach outside ears. Confidentiality is ensured - no private secretaries are present and no minutes are taken. This way, the Queen is able to talk about matters of policy and events in perfect confidence. And while it is believed that the Queen never obtrudes her own political views upon her prime ministers, she can tactfully inquire into the aims and purposes of proposed government legislation; she never ventures anywhere near compromising her required political neutrality. Without revealing what was actually said, three former prime ministers have commented on the plausibility of the play - The Audience. Edward Heath once said that the Queen offered “an exchange of views” but that she would never tell a prime minister what he or she should or should not do. Her methods would be more subtle. Heath said - “One could speak with complete confidence to the Queen; you can say things that you would not say even to your Number Two.” And James Callaghan described his weekly royal ‘audience’ as like a visit to a psychiatrist – one could use the Queen as a sounding board for views on policies and personalities, knowing that she would never divulge what she thought.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Coronation portrait, June 1953, London, England. Image credit: Cecil Beaton - Library and Archives Canada/K-0000047
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Margaret Thatcher wrote in her memoirs that “Anyone who imagines that the ‘audiences’ are a mere formality confined to social niceties is quite wrong… they are quietly businesslike, and Her Majesty brings to bear a formidable grasp of current issues and breadth of experience”. It is encouraging that the Queen does not identify with any degree of partisanship. As titular head of State and
“... Her Majesty brings to bear a formidable grasp of current issues and breadth of experience.” – Margaret Thatcher
also of a Commonwealth of Nations, she has responsibility to all the inhabitants thereof – to represent all those people and not those of a particular political creed. It is not surprising that 21st-century prime ministers have respect for the Queen. Her knowledge, based on
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assiduous reading of Cabinet papers, attendance from ambassadors, studying parliamentary papers and reports of major conferences, as well as meeting with every prominent political figure over the past 67 years, must be unrivalled. She has weathered a far longer experience of public affairs than almost anyone else. The Queen had been on the throne for 14 years before UK Prime Minister David Cameron was even born. A prime minister is under no obligation to accept any suggestion but he or she would be unwise to dismiss it without serious consideration. It is, in any case, of great value for a prime minister to have to explain himself regularly to a well-informed monarch with no political axe to grind. Precisely because the privacy of the audiences is respected, no one can know what is said there. The play The Audience is a fictional re-creation. There is and could never be, evidence that anything in The Audience actually happened. But its international success results from its being an intelligent reconstruction of what might have happened. Playwright Peter Morgan speculated… and it is a fascinating speculation.
EAT. MEET. PLAY. S TAGE YOUR NE X T E VENT IN ONE OF A SB WATERFRONT THE ATRE ’S UNIQUE SPACES For enquiries, contact our talented team at events@atc.co.nz or visit asbwaterfrontheatre.co.nz
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What’s on at ASB Waterfront Theatre Pacific Dance Festival 2019 presents
Peach Theatre Company presents
Leeches
Once
By Aloalii Tapu & Friends, a performance-based collective, led by Aloalii Tapu
By arrangement with Music Theatre International (Australasia)
7 June
27 June – 14 July
Leeches follows nine award-winning and internationally acclaimed dancers and their experiences living the modern experience of being Kiwi and Pasifika: their turmoils and triumphs of living in a Euro-centric country.
A little musical with a huge heart, Once opened on Broadway to universal acclaim, winning over audiences and critics alike, with its simplicity and profound beauty. It became one of the most awarded musicals in history.
Auckland Theatre Company presents the MiNDFOOD season of
Auckland Theatre Company presents the Kensington Swan season of
Six Degrees of Separation By John Guare
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead By Tom Stoppard
14 – 29 Aug
11 – 26 Sep
Suave and sophisticated, wealthy Manhattan art dealers Flan and Ouisa Kittredge are all about keeping up appearances in highsociety New York. But, suddenly, their world of comfort and respectability is turned upside down.
What if two minor characters in Hamlet were given centre stage? In a dashing reversal of misfortune, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s student friends, now find themselves as the headline acts in Shakespeare’s greatest play. 23
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A one-off donation of any size can be made to ATC at any time, by completing the donation pledge, through our website, or by contacting ATCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Development team. Gifts of more than $200 are acknowledged annually in our subscription brochure. All donations of more than $5 are tax deductible.
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Image credit: Patrick Reynolds
Leo Villareal
Light Matrix
(Auckland Theatre Company) 2016
Commissioned by the Edmiston Trust for Auckland Theatre Company, Leo Villarealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three-storeyed LED light installation was developed specifically for ASB Waterfront Theatre. Internationally renowned, New York-based light artist Leo Villareal has pioneered the use of light-emitting LEDs and computer-driven imagery to create significant light sculptures and site-specific
architectural works. Villareal is regarded as one of the most prominent light sculptors of his generation. Villareal describes Light Matrix as a sculpture to be explored. The everchanging light patterns in
this amoeba-like artwork are unique, programmed to run for twelve years before repeating. The public is welcome to come inside when the theatre is open to experience the artwork. 25
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OFFICIAL MAKE-UP SPONSOR M.A.C cosmetics offers a large selection of make-up, skin-care products and nail-care items. Visit Smith & Caughey’s, St Lukes, Britomart or Botany Downs.
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.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT at Halsey St Kitchen, ASB Waterfront Theatre. Dine from our pre-show menu made with fresh, local ingredients.
PRE-SHOW DINING BEFORE EVERY EVENING PERFORMANCE | PHONE (09) 632 1962
AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY Artistic Director Colin McColl ONZM Interim General Manager Anna Cameron Creative Development Associate Director: Lynne Cardy Literary Manager: Philippa Campbell Youth Arts Coordinator: Nicole Arrow Production and Premises Production Manager: Andrew Malmo Company Manager: Elaine Walsh Venue Technical Manager: Josh Bond Venue Technician: Johnny Chen Marketing and Communications Marketing and Communications Manager: Natasha Gordon Publicists: Siobhan Waterhouse and Vanessa Preston Graphic Designer: Wanda Tambrin Marketing Campaigns Manager: Nicola Brown Digital Marketing Coordinator: Brad Fisher Visitor Experience Ticketing and Front of House Manager: Gary Barker Food and Beverage Manager: Richard Pepper Front of House Manager: Ralph Corke Ticketing Administrator: Joni Nelson Ticketing Executive: Melissa Handley Front of House Supervisor: Eliot Youmans Development and Venue Sales Development Manager: Emma Burton Development Coordinator: Simon Tate Events and Sales Manager: Tracey Rowe Event Coordinator: Eshian Teo-Wade Business Development Manager: Geeling Ching Administration and Finance Finance Manager: Kerry Tomlin Senior Accountant: Nick Tregerthan Senior Accounts Administrator: Michelle Speir Company Administrator: Jan Pitout Administration Coordinator: Jade McCann Executive Administrator: Natasha Pearce Mana Whenua Cultural Advisor Herewini Easton
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Gordon Moller ONZM Vivien Bridgwater Karen Fistonich Isaac Hikaka Katie Jacobs Derek McCormack Graeme Pinfold Alison Quigan We acknowledge The Theatre Foundation Trustees for the philanthropic support provided to Auckland Theatre Company activities. CONTACT ATC 487 Dominion Road, Mt Eden PO Box 96002 Balmoral, Auckland 1342 P: 09 309 0390 F: 09 309 0391 atc@atc.co.nz atc.co.nz ATC PATRONS Margot and Alastair Acland Margaret Anderson John Barnett Michelle Boag Adrian Burr and the late Peter Tatham Paul and Barbie Cook Roger and Maryanne Dickie Guy and Nicole Domett Kim and Annette Ellis Trevor and Jan Farmer Stephen and Virginia Fisher Stuart Grieve and Antonia Fisher Cameron Fleming Rob Nicholson and Ruth Foreman Michael Friedlander Dame Jenny Gibbs Michael and Stephanie Gowan Ross and Josephine Green Sue Haigh Catherine and Michael Hapgood Allyson and Paul Harvey Jessica Miles and Isaac Hikaka Anne and Peter Hinton Ros and Greg Hinton Michael and Dame Rosie Horton Rod and Julie Inglis Sally and Peter Jackson Len and Heather Jury Simon Vannini and Anita Killeen Ross and Paulette Laidlaw Philippa Smith-Lambert and Chris Lambert Margot and Paul Leigh Sir Chris and Lady Dayle Mace Stella McDonald and the late Robert Johnston Jackie and Phillip Mills Andrew Gelonese and Michael Moore Christine and Derek Nolan
Denver and Prue Olde Peter Macky and Yuri Opeshko Heather Pascual Barby Pensabene Maria Renhart Robyn and Malcolm Reynolds Fran and Geoff Ricketts Mark and Catherine Sandelin Dale Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Rose and Mike Smith Janmarie Thompson and Joanna Smout Lady Tait Julie and Russell Tills Pip Muir and Kit Toogood Susan and Gavin Walker Sir James Wallace Greg Blanchard and Carol Weaver Ian Webster Dona and Gavin White Fran Wyborn Annemarie Yannaghas ATC 2018/19 SUPPORTING ACTS Standing Ovation Brian and Pam Stevenson Matthew Olde and Jacqui Cormack Sandy and Alan Bulmer Scott and Louise Wallace Rob Nicoll Curtain Call Anonymous Take A Bow Paul and Bev Le Grice Sandra Greenfield Marianne Willison Nicola Jeffares Ian Forrest Mindy Levene Rosemary Langham Terry Hibbit Louise Mountfort Shane Compton Applause Selwyn Bennet Geoff Dalbeth Bernard Kendall Claire Abel John and Barbara Lindsay Lyndell Simmonds Don and Lyn Jaine ATC welcomes Supporting Acts donations throughout the year. 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 29
BASED ON THE BEST-SELLING NOVEL
A Fine Balance Adapted by
Sudha Bhuchar and Kristine Landon-Smith Based on the novel by Rohinton Mistry
14 June â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 July
CO-PRODUCERS:
Q Theatre, Rangatira, 305 Queen St. 09 309 9771 / atc.co.nz
VENUE:
PRINCIPAL FUNDERS: