Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express Programme
He pou atua, he pou whenua, he pou tangata.
Ko Waitematā te moana
Ko Waikōkota te whenua.
Ko Te Pou Whakamahara a Māui Tikitiki a Taranga te tohu o te kaha, o te kōrero, o te whakapapa o tēnei wāhi, o tēnei whare.
Nau mai e te tī, e te tā ki te whare kōrero, ki te whare whakaari o ASB ki te tahatika o te moana.
Mauri tau, mauri ora!
Pouwhakamahara a Māui-Tikitiki-a-Taranga
The Memorial Post of Māui the Topknot of Tāranga
Robert Jahnke ONZM (Ngāi Taharora, Te Whānau a Iritekura, Te Whānau a Rākairoa o Ngāti Porou), 2016
Laminated tōtara and Corten steel
Proudly commissioned by Auckland Theatre Company for ASB Waterfront Theatre
The symbols of support, of strength and of guardianship stand fast and proud.
The waters of Waitematā ebb and flow against the shores here at Waikōkota, the land upon which we stand.
The pou of remembrance to Māui Tikitiki a Taranga stands tall as a beacon of courage, of stories passed down and of the history that connects us all to this place and to this space.
We welcome you all from near and far to this house of stories, to the ASB Waterfront Theatre.
Mauri tau, mauri ora!
7 – 22 FEB 2026
The novel Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie was first published in January 1934. It was later adapted many times for radio, film, video games, television, board games and comics in many languages. The Christie Estate commissioned playwright Ken Ludwig to adapt it for the stage. The world premiere was produced by the McCarter Theatre Centre (Emily Mann: Artistic Director; Timothy J. Shields: Managing Director), Princeton, New Jersey, opening on Tuesday 14 March 2017 before transferring to Hartford Stage (Darko Tresnjak: Artistic Director; Michael Stotts: Managing Director), Hartford, Connecticut. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express had its New Zealand premiere at The Court Theatre, Christchurch, in a production directed by Dan Bain, opening on Saturday 2 March 2024. Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express was the second play in Auckland Theatre Company’s 2025 season, directed by Shane Bosher. It began previews on 22 April and opened on 24 April 2025. A return season was announced on 29 April 2025 and opened on 7 February 2026. The production is 2 hours and 10 minutes long, including an interval. There are references to the death of a child and suicide, depictions of death, gunshots and strobe lighting.
By arrangement with ORiGIN™ Theatrical on behalf of Samuel French Ltd, A Concord Theatricals Company.
The taking of pictures or video is prohibited, except during the curtain call. Silence all noise-emitting devices.
Paul Barrett — voice of Train Announcer & Radio Parts
Sophie Hambleton — voice of the Mother
Jordan Selwyn — voice of the Father
Olivia Tennet — voice of Daisy Armstrong
PRODUCTION
Stage Manager — Natasha Thyne
Deputy Stage Manager
Lucie Everett-Brown
Assistant Stage Manager —
Sofia Miernik
Head of Staging Molloy
Head of Electrics — Tim Jansen
Head of Sound Sam Clavis
Vision Coordinator — Michael Goodwin
Technical Operator Tony Black
Audio Mix Engineer Cathal McDonagh
Microphone Technician
Louis McKendry, Joel Orme
Fly Technician — T.J. Haunui
Show Crew Mathew Illek, Max Manson, Molloy, Joseph Noster, Finlay Pinkerton
Wardrobe Maintenance
Petra Verweig
Day Wardrobe Chiara Niccolini
Set Construction —
Grant Reynolds, Zorp Creative
Props Manager Jane Hakaraia
Make-up & Hair — Miranda Raman
Pattern Maker Joanne Hawke
Wardrobe Stitchers —
Natalie Miskin, Rosalind Sinel
Tailor Nasir Ali Payne, Payne Tailors
Publicist — Michelle Lafferty, Elephant Publicity
Production Photography Andi Crown
Music composed and performed by Paul McLaney with:
Cello Ashley Brown
Violin — Jessica Hindin
Trombone & Trumpet Jake Krishnamurti
Flute — Lewis McCallum
Recorded at Broome Recordings
Haere Mai
Well, here we are again. Whisked away into the fabulous world of the Queen of Crime.
By the time you read this, Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, adapted by Ken Ludwig, will be the highest selling play we have ever produced. Across two seasons, some 20,000 people will be taken on this phenomenal journey.
It brings immense joy to the cast, the creative team and all of us at Auckland Theatre Company to make something that audiences have loved so much. Thank you, Auckland, for embracing this production. I salute the director, Shane Bosher, for his extraordinary success with this show.
One of New Zealand’s most fabulous actors, Cameron Rhodes, who audiences so adored on the first journey, returns as Hercule Poirot. For this return season, we said goodbye to OG cast members Mayen Mehta, Mirabai Pease, Jordan Selwyn and Rima Te Wiata, who all had to alight the Orient Express for fabulous new projects. This time, our new passengers are Brayden Cresswell, Jacque Drew, Renaye Tamati and Jason Te Kare – welcome aboard!
Our creative team made a spectacular production. I again pay respects to John Verryt, Sean Lynch, Paul McLaney, Harley Campbell and Kirstie O’Sullivan, and a very special standing ovation for Costume Designer Elizabeth Whiting, who was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2026 New Year Honours.
We have ahead of us a tremendously exciting year of theatre-making. Please join us at ASB Waterfront Theatre again soon.
P.S. Don’t reveal what happens for people yet to see the show: no spoilers!
Jonathan Bielski
Artistic Director & CEO
Writer
Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. More than a billion copies of her books in English have been sold, with another billion in other languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and, in many languages, outsold by only the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 66 crime novels, 150 short story collections, more than 20 plays, and six novels written under the name Mary Westmacott. Her work includes Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and the genredefining And Then There Were None.
Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was written towards the end of the First World War, in which she served in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) as a nurse. In it, she created Hercule Poirot, the little Belgian detective who was destined to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since Sherlock Holmes. It was published by The Bodley Head in 1920. In 1926, after averaging a book a year, Agatha Christie wrote her first masterpiece. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was the first of her books to be published by Collins and marked the beginning of an author-publisher relationship that lasted for 50 years and well over 70 books. Ackroyd was also the first of Agatha Christie’s books to be dramatised – under the title Alibi – and to have a successful run in London’s West End.
By 1930, Agatha had introduced a new character to act as detective. When she created Miss Marple, Agatha did not expect her to become Poirot’s rival
but, with The Murder at the Vicarage, Miss Marple’s first full-length outing, it appeared she had produced another popular and enduring character.
The Mousetrap, her most successful play of all, opened in 1952 and is the longest-running play in history.
Agatha Christie was made a Dame in 1971. She died in 1976.
Agatha Christie Limited (ACL) has been managing the literary and media rights to Agatha Christie’s works around the world since 1955, working with the best talents in film, television and publishing, and on stage and digital platforms, to ensure that her work continues to reach new audiences in innovative ways and to the highest standard. The company is managed by Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard.
Visit agathachristie.com for more information.
Stage Adaptor Ken Ludwig
Ken Ludwig may well be the most performed playwright of his generation. He has had six productions on Broadway and eight in London’s West End. His 34 plays and musicals are staged around the world and throughout the United States every night of the year. They have been produced in over 20 languages in more than 30 countries, and many have become standards of the American repertoire.
His first play, Lend Me a Tenor, won two Tony Awards and was called “one of the classic comedies of the twentieth century” by The Washington Post. Crazy For You was on Broadway for five years, on the West End for three, and won the Tony and Olivier Awards for Best Musical. It has been revived twice in London, most recently in 2023. His play Death on the Nile is currently on a 26-city tour of the UK and Ireland.
In addition, he has won the Edwin Forrest Award for Contributions to the American Theatre, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Helen Hayes Awards, the Charles MacArthur Award, and the Edgar Award for Best Mystery of the Year. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award for writing the 1990 Kennedy Center Honors. His other plays include Moon Over Buffalo; Leading Ladies; Baskerville; Sherwood; Twentieth Century; Dear Jack, Dear Louise; A Fox on the Fairway; A Comedy of Tenors; The Game’s Afoot and Shakespeare in Hollywood. They have starred, among others, Alec Baldwin, Carol Burnett, Tony Shaloub, Joan Collins, Kristen Bell and Henry Goodman.
His book How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare, published by Penguin Random House, has been a bestseller and has recently been released in a new, expanded edition. It won the Falstaff Award for Best Shakespeare Book of the Year. He studied music with Leonard Bernstein at Harvard University. His essays on theatre are published in the Yale Review, and he gives the Annual Ken Ludwig Playwriting Scholarship at the American College Theatre Festival. He holds a lifetime appointment to the Council of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
His first opera, Tenor Overboard, opened at the Glimmerglass Festival in 2022. His most recent world premieres were Moriarty and Lady Molly of Scotland Yard, and his newest plays and musicals include Pride and Prejudice Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley; Adults at Play; Beginner’s Luck with a score by George and Ira Gershwin; and Easter Parade with a score by Irving Berlin.
He has been commissioned to write plays by the Agatha Christie Estate, the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Old Globe Theatre, and the Bristol Old Vic. For more information visit KenLudwig.com.
Director Shane Bosher
Shane Bosher is an award-winning theatre director, playwright, actor and producer with more than 20 years in the industry. Following training at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, he has worked for most of Aotearoa’s mainstage companies and festivals, including Auckland Theatre Company, The Court Theatre, Circa, Downstage and the New Zealand Actors Company.
His repertoire includes celebrated productions of Angels in America, When the Rain Stops Falling, The Brothers Size, Homos, or Everyone in America, Speaking in Tongues, Cock, Private Lives, Holding the Man, Things I Know to Be True, Take Me Out, The Little Dog Laughed and Both Sides Now.
He is renowned for his provocative excavations of classic texts by Chekhov, Ibsen, Molière, Williams, Miller and Stoppard.
For Auckland Theatre Company, Shane has directed Long Day’s Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill (2022) and Venus in Fur by David Ives (2016).
From 2001 to 2014, Shane was the Artistic Director of Silo Theatre. He later served as Artistic Director of Rock Surfers in Sydney and of Tauranga Arts Festival.
He was named one of the Aucklanders of 2005 by Metro magazine and, in July 2007, was named one of the Most Influential People under 40. Shane was selected by Creative NZ to participate in the Future Leaders Programme and he has also undertaken professional development at the Donmar Warehouse and Young Vic in London and Public Theater in New York. He is the recipient of three Auckland Theatre Awards and has been awarded Director of the Year by the New Zealand Listener four times.
In 2018, he won the Adam NZ Play Award for his own play Everything After, which he went on to stage in 2021. That same year, Shane became an Arts Foundation Laureate, receiving the Burr/Tatham Trust Award.
Most recently, Shane directed Bruce Mason’s The End of the Golden Weather and Not Christmas, but Guy Fawkes.
Note from the Director
Writing about her work, Agatha Christie talked about the austerity and stern discipline that goes into making a detective plot: “it is the kind of writing that does not permit loose or slipshod thinking”.
Last year, a company of artists gathered, emboldened by a sense of play and adventure, to indulge in all things Agatha. We spent much of the rehearsal period unpacking the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of her complex puzzle of a plot. We had to activate every little grey cell of our brains to determine how this tale of lies, deception and humanity really works. Such is the craft of the finest mystery writer of all time.
There’s something deeply satisfying about her signature formula: a mystery is solved; baddies are brought to justice; and order is restored. But, at the heart of this locked-room mystery is a deeply human question. When the systems set up to protect us don’t, what are we to do? Who holds the right to see justice served? And how? It’s a knotty moral issue that both Agatha and her adaptor Ken Ludwig have interrogated with rigour.
This gig, both the 2025 production and this reprise, has been an exciting and challenging journey. Ludwig’s adaptation sets up the Orient Express itself as a character in the play: the most opulent mode of transport taking us to multiple destinations. The actors are required to walk a tightrope between wild comedy and searing drama, integrating complex dialects, nuanced character arcs, historical etiquette and razor-sharp dialogue (it really is daredevil stuff). We’ve built costumes rich in period detail, found about a million props, created a filmic score and figured out how to stage some how-thehell-do-I-do-this moments of theatre. It’s been a resource-hungry undertaking. The ensembles gathered by Auckland Theatre Company to tell this story have embraced the ask with extraordinary dedication, an unwavering pursuit of excellence and limitless creativity.
I’m particularly grateful to the new members of our ensemble, all of whom have taken on a magnificent challenge with chutzpah, generosity of spirit and fierce talent.
Bon voyage.
Cast
BRAYDEN CRESSWELL
Tonga: Ha’apai, Muitoa, Ha’ano
Michel & Head Waiter
TRAINING:
Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (2024).
FOR ATC:
Murder on the Orient Express is Brayden’s debut at Auckland Theatre Company.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Mr Red Light; Fucking A; Mr Burns, A Post-Electric Play; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
JACQUE DREW
Helen Hubbard TRAINING:
Bachelor of Arts, University of Portland (1985); Shakespeare & Company Training Institute (1998).
FOR ATC:
Twelfth Night; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
OTHER THEATRE
INCLUDES:
Three Little Words; Dance Nation; Much Ado About Nothing; Othello; Welcome to the Murder House; Time Stands Still; My First Time; Suddenly Last Summer; The Women; Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.
SCREEN INCLUDES: Spartacus: House of Ashur; M3GAN 2.0; Heart Eyes; One of Us is Lying; Mr. Corman; The Power of the Dog; The Royal Treatment; Choose Love; Together Forever Tea.
OTHER: Chapman Tripp award for Best Actress in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.
BRONWYN ENSOR
Greta Ohlsson
TRAINING:
John Bolton Theatre School (2015); The Actors’ Program (2016); Bachelor of Laws, University of Auckland (2024).
FOR ATC: BOYS (part of Auckland Theatre Company’s Here & Now Festival, 2017); The Seagull.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Lads on the Island; ÉMILIE; Champions; Sleigh!; Medusa; Julius Caesar; Ranterstantrum; One Perfect Moment; As You Like It; Vernon God Little; Second Afterlife; 2b or nt 2b; Macbeth; Saint Joan; How to Art.
SCREEN INCLUDES: Shortland Street; Kura; The Brokenwood Mysteries; Oddly Even.
SOPHIE HENDERSON
Countess Andrenyi
TRAINING:
Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts, Unitec (2006).
FOR ATC:
Murder on the Orient Express is Sophie’s 2025 debut at Auckland Theatre Company.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES: Silo Theatre: The Writer; Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again; Belleville; Private Lives; Tartuffe; The Scene; The Little Dog Laughed; ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore; Based on Auckland.
SCREEN INCLUDES: Workmates; Human Traces; Fantail; Outrageous Fortune.
OTHER:
Writer of Fantail (New Zealand Film Awards nominee: Best Film, Best Actress, Best Screenplay; Melbourne International Film Festival, People’s Choice Award); Baby Done (Toronto International Film Festival); The Justice of Bunny King (Tribeca Film Festival, Nora Ephron Special Jury Prize); and Workmates (now on Netflix). Sophie is the Artistic Director of Silo Theatre.
JENNIFER LUDLAM MNZM
Princess Dragomiroff
TRAINING:
Jennifer was in the first intake of students at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (1970).
FOR ATC:
Peter Pan; August: Osage County; Filthy Business; Calendar Girls; Taking Off; Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Take a Chance on Me; Social Climbers.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Silo Theatre: Mother Play; Boys will be Boys; When the Rain Stops Falling. Nightsong: Peter Pan; I Want To Be Happy; Mr Red Light; Call it a Night.
SCREEN INCLUDES:
Jennifer played Leanne Miller as a core cast member on Shortland Street for more than 10 years.
OTHER:
Jennifer has won multiple awards for theatre, film and television, spanning her long career as a beloved New Zealand actor.
RYAN O’KANE
Colonel Arbuthnot & Samuel Ratchett
TRAINING:
Bachelor of Arts, University of Otago (2003); Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (2005).
FOR ATC: North by Northwest.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES: Silo Theatre: A Streetcar Named Desire.
SCREEN INCLUDES: Film: The Justice of Bunny King; Baby Done; Zombucha!; A Dog’s Show.
Television: n00b; One Lane Bridge; Home and Away; Caper Crew.
CAMERON RHODES
TRAINING:
Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (1987).
FOR ATC:
King Lear; North by Northwest; The Life of Galileo; Black Lover; Mrs Warren’s Profession; Lysistrata; The Good Soul of Szechuan; A Shortcut to Happiness; Mary Stuart; The Importance of Being Earnest; She Stoops to Conquer; The Thirty-Nine Steps; Design for Living; Sweet Charity; Mum’s Choir; The Duchess of Malfi; A Christmas Carol; Goldie; Ladies Night.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES: Silo Theatre: Tartuffe; Loot; The Real Thing.
Other: The Threepenny Opera; Live Live Cinema: Carnival of Souls; Dementia 13.
SCREEN INCLUDES:
Spartacus: House of Ashur; The Royal Treatment; Workmates; Housebound; The Brokenwood Mysteries; The Gone; Rake; Under the Vines; The Lord of the Rings; Home and Away.
Hercule Poirot
RENAYE TAMATI
Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Te Ātiawa, Kai Tahu
Mary Debenham
TRAINING:
The Actors’ Program (2018).
FOR ATC:
Murder on the Orient Express is Renaye’s debut at Auckland Theatre Company.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES: From Another Woman; Contractions; Kūpapa; Nancy. Jean. Ruia. Fearless Hearts of Aotearoa; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Twelfth Night; Jacinda.
SCREEN INCLUDES:
Black Sheep; Holy Days; Maybe Daddy; Deep Water; Monster State; Camp Be Better; Vince; The Brokenwood Mysteries
JASON TE KARE
Ngāti Maniapoto, Tainui
Hector MacQueen
TRAINING:
Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (2001).
FOR ATC:
Scenes from the Climate Era (as director). Murder on the Orient Express is Jason’s acting debut at Auckland Theatre Company.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Every Brilliant Thing; A Midsummer Night’s Dream; The Merchant of Venice; Cellfish; Te Kaupoi; Fallow; Oho Ake; Play 2; The Prophet; 1981; Flatout Brown; Waiora.
SCREEN INCLUDES: Spartacus: House of Ashur.
OTHER: Chapman Tripp Awards for Best Newcomer, Best New Director, Director of the Year, Actor of the Year
Monsieur Bouc
TRAINING:
Theatre Studies, University of Otago (1996).
FOR ATC:
Rendered; The Good Soul of Szechuan; The Glass Menagerie; Black Confetti; The Pōhutukawa Tree; The Crucible; End of the Rainbow; Play 2.03.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Silo Theatre: Tartuffe; The Scene; Betrayal; Rabbit; Dying City; Plenty; Take Me Out; The Boys in the Band; Bruised; Unidentified Human Remains and The True Nature of Love; The Holden Caulfield Interviews. The Court Theatre: Uncle Vanya
Other: Black Comedy; Richard III; Dead Funny; The Country Wife; Closer; One Flesh; Arcadia; Crimes of the Heart
SCREEN:
Film: Guns Akimbo; The Meg; In Dark Places; Turbo Kid; Slow West; Matariki; Underworld 3; Apron Strings; King Kong; Blessed.
Television: Ms. X; East of Eden (upcoming); A Remarkable Place to Die; The Gone; Madam; The Luminaries; Power Rangers Beast Morphers; Straight Forward; Kiwi; Mistress Mercy; Dear Murderer; Hillary; The Roman Empire; Shortland Street; Tatau; Operation Overdue; Top of the Lake; Underbelly –The Martin Johnstone Story; What Really Happened; This Is Not My Life; Outrageous Fortune; Rude Awakenings.
EDWIN WRIGHT
Creative
JOHN VERRYT
Set Design
TRAINING:
Theatre Corporate; Mercury Theatre.
DESIGNS FOR ATC INCLUDE:
Tiri: Te Araroa Woman Far Walking; MARY: The Birth of Frankenstein; Peter Pan; King Lear; Long Day’s Journey into Night; The Haka Party Incident; Jesus Christ Superstar; Once on Chunuk Bair; Twelfth Night; Hair; Death of a Salesman; Rendered; The Pillowman.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Nightsong: Peter Pan; 360 – a theatre of recollections; Spirit House; Head.
Theatre Corporate: Mother Courage; Foreskin’s Lament; The Threepenny Opera; King Lear.
Mercury Theatre: Porgy and Bess; Tosca Rose Tattoo; The Barber of Seville. Theatre at Large: Cyrano de Bergerac.
Indian Ink Theatre: Krishnan’s Dairy; The Pickle King; The Candlestickmaker; Guru of Chai Work; Paradise.
Silo Theatre: Badjelly the Witch; The Goat Me Out; The Cripple of Inishmaan; A Streetcar Named Desire; Irma Vep; When the Rain Stops Falling; The Book of Everything Days of Rain; Berlin; Tartuffe.
Red Leap Theatre: The Arrival; Dakota of the White Flats.
OTHER:
World of WearableArt 2009 – 2015.
NZ Opera: Gianni Schicchi; The Spanish Hour
Don Pasquale; Aida; Lucia di Lammermoor Xerxes; Falstaff; The Magic Flute. Dance: Black Grace; Atamira; Ōkāreka; Douglas Wright; Malia Johnston; Michael Parmenter.
SEAN LYNCH
Lighting Design
FOR ATC:
End of Summer Time; Peter Pan; Long Day’s Journey into Night; Two Ladies; Grand Horizons; Rendered; The Audience; Winding Up; Black Lover; Jesus Christ Superstar; Once on Chunuk Bair; Lysistrata; Chicago.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Nightsong: Peter Pan; I Want to be Happy. Silo Theatre: D.R.A.G. (Dressed Resembling A God); Mother Play; Break Bread; The Wolves; The Book of Everything; Angels in America; Hir. The Court Theatre:
ELIZABETH WHITING MNZM
Costume Design
DESIGNS FOR ATC INCLUDE:
Peter Pan; King Lear; Long Day’s Journey into Night; Two Ladies; The Life of Galileo; Shortland Street The Musical; The Miracle Worker; Joan; The Daylight Atheist; Nell Gwynn; Venus in Fur; The Ladykillers; Rupert; Lysistrata; In the Next Room; Little Shop of Horrors; Mary Stuart; Cabaret; The ThirtyNine Steps; Chicago; Anne Boleyn; Design for Living; My Name is Gary Cooper; The Pillowman; Doubt; The Duchess of Malfi; Equus; Goldie; Caligula; The Songmaker’s Chair; The Bellbird; Waiting for Godot; The Rocky Horror Show; Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead; Hair; Angels in America.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Nightsong: Peter Pan; I Want To Be Happy; The Worm; A Stab in the Dark; Call it a Night; Mr Red Light; Te Pō; Spirit House; 360: A Theatre of Recollections; Head.
The Court Theatre: The Country Wife; La Cage Aux Folles; The Great Gatsby; Cabaret. Silo Theatre: Tartuffe; Top Girls; Three Days of Rain; Irma Vep; The Scene; Holding the Man; When the Rain Stops Falling; Assassins; Angels in America.
NZ Opera: Faust; Carmen; La Bohème; Falstaff; The Barber of Seville; The Marriage of Figaro; Cosi Van Tutte; Cavalleria Rusticana; Pagliacci; Don Giovanni; Tosca; The Magic Flute; Brass Poppies.
Elizabeth designs for Indian Ink Theatre, Plumb Theatre, Te Pou, Red Leap Theatre, Ōkāreka Dance and many other companies.
PAUL MCLANEY
Composition & Sound Design
FOR ATC:
Venus in Fur; Enlightenment.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES: Pop-up Globe: Romeo & Juliet; Twelfth Night; Hamlet; Measure for Measure; The Merchant of Venice; Julius Caesar; Macbeth; The Comedy of Errors; The Taming of the Shrew; Richard III; Othello; Much Ado About Nothing; As You Like It; Henry V; A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Massive Theatre Company: Te Whare Kapua; Half of the Sky.
Other: Everything After; Cock; Conversations with Dead Relatives; A Gambler’s Guide to Dying; Homos, or Everyone in America; Vernon God Little; Lucrece; Manawa; Once There Was a Woman; Play On; FALLOUT: The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior; Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography; Love and Information; K’Rd Strip; Speaking in Tongues; Call it a Night; The End of the Golden Weather.
OTHER:
Solo Albums: Pedestrian; The Prayer Engine; The Shadows of Birds Flying Fall Slowly Down The Tall Buildings; Edin; Diamond Side; Play On; The Old Traditions; An Arrow Made of Air; As The North Attracts The Needle; The Daylight Moon. Bands: Gramsci (Permanence, Object, Like Stray Voltage, Inheritance, The Hinterlands, In Formation, Know Return); The Impending Adorations (multiple albums and singles).
Collaborations: The Blush Response; Nameless Sons; Immram; Heart’s Ease: Music from Pop-up Globe; Under The Greenwood Tree: Music from Pop-up Globe.
HARLEY
CAMPBELL
Motion Design
FOR ATC:
Rendered; Joan; Astroman; Single Asian Female; The Life of Galileo; The Haka Party Incident.
With over 15 years of experience as a motion designer and creative director, Harley leads animation projects across digital and physical spaces. His practice includes a strong focus on largescale live events and immersive experiential projects.
KIRSTIE O’SULLIVAN
Accent & Dialect Coach
TRAINING:
Voice Studies, The National Institute of Dramatic Art (2006); Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School (1999).
FOR ATC:
King Lear; Basmati Bitch; Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead; Red Speedo; Amadeus; The End of the Golden Weather.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES: Agaram Productions: Boom Shankar.
Massive Theatre Company: Sightings; Chance to Ignite; The Wholehearted; Havoc in the Garden; Whero’s New Net. Silo Theatre: Midsummer; Angels in America; When the Rain Stops Falling; Holding the Man. Pop-up Globe:
A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Romeo & Juliet; Hamlet; Julius Caesar; Much Ado About Nothing; Merchant of Venice; Twelfth Night; Measure for Measure; The Taming of the Shrew; Emilia.
SCREEN INCLUDES: The Dead Lands; Shortland Street; TVC Dialect Coaching; Broadcast Screen Presenter Coaching.
OTHER:
The Voice Practice: HighPerformance Voice Coaching; The Actors’ Program: Head of Voice (2012 – 2019); Unitec Institute of Technology: Voice Lecturer (2007 – 2011).
TODD EMERSON
Intimacy Coordinator
TRAINING:
Intimacy Coordination Certification, Intimacy Professionals Association (IPA); Consent Forward Artist Certificate, Intimacy Directors and Coordinators (IDC); Foundations of Intimacy 1 & 2, IDC.
FOR ATC:
As an intimacy coordinator: Daddy Ubu. As a performer: Grand Horizons.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
The Perfect Image; Gravity & Grace; Losing Face.
SCREEN INCLUDES: Mārama; Spartacus: House of Ashur; Chief of War; The Brokenwood Mysteries; n00b; The Boy, the Queen and Everything in Between; Raised by Refugees; Literally Dead; Big Girls Don’t Cry; Ms. X.
OTHER:
Guest tutor at Unitec School of Performing and Screen Arts and ATC Youth Company.
AMAND WEAVER
Stunt Coordinator
FOR ATC:
Peter Pan; O le Pepelo, le Gaoi, ma le Pala’ai; Switzerland; Red Speedo.
SCREEN INCLUDES:
Viva La Dirt League; nOOb; Literally Dead; The Boy, the Queen and Everything in Between; Shut Eye; Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant; Socks; Breathe; Munkie; Chrysanthemum; Oh Nah; The Last Samoan Zombie; Pain; Close; Seen.
OTHER:
Instructor for the New Zealand Stunt School.
ROSS McCORMACK
Choreographer
TRAINING:
New Zealand School of Dance (2001).
FOR ATC:
MARY: The Birth of Frankenstein; Amadeus.
OTHER THEATRE INCLUDES:
Australian Dance Theatre (ADT); Chunky Move; Dancenorth Australia; les ballets C de la B (Belgium); Douglas Wright Dance Company; The New Zealand Dance Company; Red Leap Theatre. Choreographed works: With Jane Campion: The Power of the Dog. With Muscle Mouth: AGE (New Zealand Festival of the Arts); Triumphs and Other Alternatives; System; As It Stands (Auckland Arts Festival).
Hong Kong Arts Festival: The Weight of Force; Singapore Arts Festival: Together, Yes?
Arts Foundation Laureate Award (2017); Creative New Zealand Choreographic Fellowship (2015); Helpmann Award Best Male Dancer (2005); World of WearableArt choreographer (2017); Muscle Mouth Artistic
Set designer for own choreographic works.
AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Frances Valintine CNZM (Chair)
Bronwyn Bradley
Karen Ferns
Gabriel Kirkwood (Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti
Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Waikato Tainui, Ngāi Tūhoe)
Youth Arts Coordinators: Dan Goodwin, Beatriz Romilly
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Director, Artistic Operations & Deputy CEO:
Anna Cameron
Director, Production: Kathryn Osborne
Senior Producer: Sums Selvarajan
Company Manager: Lucy Gardner
Head of Learning & Participation: Sam Phillips
Participation Coordinator: Kalia Regan
Production Coordinator: Paige Pomana (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Rongomaiwahine)
Operations Coordinator: Lyndee-Jane Rutherford
MARKETING & TICKETING
Director, Marketing: Joanna O’Connor
Acting Marketing Director: Terri Cumiskey
Marketing Manager: Ari Katsoulis
Graphic Designer: Wanda Tambrin
Marketing Executive: Lucy Diver
Ticketing Manager: Bruce Brown
Customer Relationships Manager: Gary Hofman
Ticketing Assistants: Ella Blake Brislen, Molly Curnow, Merlia De Ridder, Amy Henwood, Talia Pua, Toby Swann, Tom Webster, Rachael Yielder, Daphne Zondag
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Director, Finance: Alice O’Connor
Financial Analyst: Dina Abramova
Accountant: Reena Mudliar
Head of Strategy: Natasha Pearce
ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Director, ASB Waterfront Theatre: Sharon Byrne
Co-Front of House Managers: Jack Clarkson, Dario Kuschke
Events Manager: Amy Robertson
Venue Technical Manager: Johnny Chen
Senior Venue Technician: Nathanael Bristow
Technical Team: Tayla Brittliff, T.J. Haunui, Luuk Heijnen, Mathew Illek, Amanda Joe, Michael Keating, Dario Kuschke, Max Manson, Louis McKendry, Dave McSmith, Patrick Minto, Aaron Mitchell, Nick Mulder, Joseph Noster, Finlay Pinkerton, Mitchell Rayner, Benny Sarten
Front of House Supervisors: Ella Blake Brislen, Billy Blamires, Nat Dolan, Lucie Everett-Brown, Gary Hofman, Sofi Issak-Zade, Vena-Rose Lennane, Pearl McCracken, Rachael Yielder
Front of House: Ella Blake Brislen, Ruben Cirilovic, Molly Curnow, Merlia De Ridder, Nat Dolan, Shannon Freeman, Eugene Garry, Mary Grice, Lara Grozev, Shayla Hann, Amy Henwood, Kirsty Leggett, Vena-Rose Lennane, Emre Logan, Michaela MacFarlane, Prakritik Mal, Isla Mayo, Demos Murphy, Carla Newton, Joseph Noster, Finlay Pinkerton, Talia Pua, Tema Pua, Manunui Rainey, Ailsa Scott, Emily Smith, Mandy Smith, Mikaela Stroud, Toby Swann, Hanah Tayeb, Geo Tughushi, Sophie Watson, Tom Webster, Xanthe Werder, Daphne Zondag
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Auckland Theatre Company would like to thank the following for their help with this production: Dr Yusuf Cakmak, Nī Dekkers-Reihana, Andrew Gibson, Jazmyne van Gosliga, Peter Haynes, Mark Leedom, Murray Lynch, Mayen Mehta, Denny Monk, Mirabai Pease, Fiona Sole, Rima Te Wiata
Co-Chairs The Hon Anne Hinton KC and Lady Dayle Mace MNZM
Patrons Margot & Alastair Acland, Margaret Anderson, Betsy & Michael Benjamin, Louise & Mark Binns, Patrick Bourke, Stephen Brown, Barbie & Paul Cook, Jacqui Cormack & Matthew Olde, Jane & Tiff Day, Annette & Kim Ellis, Jan & Trevor Farmer, Antonia Fisher KC & Stuart Grieve KC, Virginia Fisher & Stephen Fisher QSO, Sir Michael Friedlander KNZM, Andrew Gelonese & Michael Moore, Anna Gibbons, Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Stephanie & Michael Gowan, Joséphine & Ross Green, Sue Haigh, Georgiana Harper & Tim Olphert, Sally Jackson, Katie Jacobs & Chris Aughton, Stella Johnston, Judy Jordan & Trevor Bayly, Heather & Len Jury, Anita Killeen & Simon Vannini, Philippa Smith Lambert & Chris Lambert, Margot & Paul Leigh, Antonia & Tim MacAvoy, Peter Macky, Charlotte & Ian McLoughlin, Julie & Russell Tills, Pip Muir & Kit Toogood KC, Christine Nolan & Derek Nolan KC, Heather Pascual, The Hon Dame Judith Potter DNZM, CBE, Louise & Karl Von Randow, Fran Ricketts, Joan Vujcich, Susan Walker & Gavin Walker ONZM, Lynne Webber & Priscilla McGirr, Ian Webster, Dona & Gavin White
YOUTH COMPANY SUPPORTERS 2025
Co-Leaders Peter Macky and Joan Vujcich
Saints Aaron Boonshoft, Cynthia Braithwaite, Peter Macky, Joan Vujcich
Angels Paul Boakes & Andy Eakin, Elías & Sam, Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Charlotte & Ian McLoughlin, Jane & Mark Taylor, Ian Webster
Cherubs Peggy & Richard Greenfield, Coriamber Hogan & Martin Kunz, Irene Norbis, Keiko Pulin & Graham Astley, Michael Synnott Charitable Trust
Friends Brenda & Stephen Allen, Georgina & Stuart Anderson, Margaret Anderson, Denese Bates KC, Jonathan Bielski, Susan Buckland, Rosey Eady & David Nicoll, Ron Elliott & Mark Tamagni, Virginia Fisher & Stephen Fisher QSO, Karen Fistonich, Prue & John Gilbert, Martin Gillman, Alexandra Goldkorn & Craig Birch, Kallie Goulding, Conor Greive, Deb Haworth, Helen & Hamish, Wayne Hughes, R Inder & R Bergs, Sally Jackson, Judy & Andrew Jarvie, Joy Keith, Margot Leigh, Lesley & Philip Lindesay, Louise Pagonis, The Hon Dame Judith Potter DNZM, CBE, Annette Stewart, AD Swinburn, Kerry Underhill & Daan van Gulik, Joanne & Rob Wills, Anonymous (10)
30TH ANNIVERSARY FUND
Visionary Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Jan & Trevor Farmer
Lead Nicole & Guy Domett, the late Prue Olde
Ensemble Barbie & Paul Cook, Andrew Gelonese & Michael Moore
SUPPORTING ACTS
Standing Ovation Cynthia Braithwaite, Sandy & Alan Bulmer, Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Rosemary Langham, Sue & Murray Lee, Peter Macky, Liz & Ray Payne, Anonymous (1)
Curtain Call Shirley Bollard, Shane & Richard Compton, Mindy & Mark Levene, Caroline List, Shona & Barry Old, Bev & Geoff Pownall, Deb Shepherd & Paul Clarke, Pam & Brian Stevenson
Take A Bow Dale Bailey, Greg Fahey, Sandra Greenfield, Jan Hilder, Dawn & Peter McEniery, Jan Milne, The Hon Dame Judith Potter DNZM, CBE, Jennifer Price, The Hon John Priestley CNZM, KC, Eva Silverstone, Georgia Smith, Anthea & Peter Springford, Deborah Gelin & Jane Mandelbaum in the name of Anne & Peter Hinton, Anonymous (2)
Applause Michael Barley, Trish Clapham, Pamela Gervai, Sue Haigh, Bella Kalolo-Suraj, Peter Kerridge, Robert Lane, Lynne Linton, Linda Lockie, Giri Mahadevan, Greg McGee, Suren Surendran, Debbie & Mike Whale, Sylvana Whyborn, Anonymous (9)
Auckland Theatre Company Partners
ASB Waterfront Theatre Supporters
Accessible Theatre
We believe theatre should be for everyone. Our accessible performances and services make it easier for all audiences to share in the magic of live performance. Our team is here to ensure your visit is welcoming, comfortable and enjoyable.
Audio Described Performance and Touch Tour
Sunday 8 February Touch Tour 2:30pm
Audio Described Performance 4:00pm
Audio described performances feature live commentary from Audio Described Aotearoa. They provide detailed visual descriptions through earpieces to blind and low-vision patrons.
Touch tours, held 90 minutes before the show, allow blind and low-vision patrons and their companions to explore the sets, touch props and costumes, and meet actors. Supported by:
Service Dogs
Service dogs are welcome at the theatre. We can find a seat that’s comfortable for you and your dog or arrange for staff to look after your dog during the show.
Hearing Assistance
The theatre has a T-Loop radio frequency system to amplify the sound of the performance. If you don’t use a hearing aid or your hearing aid does not have a T setting, there is a listener unit available on request from the box office.
Relaxed Performance
Tuesday 10 February 7:00pm
Relaxed performances are inclusive, welcoming environments for neurodivergent individuals or anyone seeking a less formal theatre experience. They offer a flexible approach without changing the show. Audiences can expect pre-show resources, an open attitude to movement and noise, and breakout space. An optional pre-show demonstration shares lights, sound and surprises so patrons know what to expect from the show. All are welcome.
NZSL Interpreted Performance
Saturday 14 February 2:00pm
NZSL interpreted performances feature trained interpreters from Platform Interpreting New Zealand, providing live interpretation for Deaf patrons. We reserve great seats for interpreter viewing.
Wheelchair Access
ASB Waterfront Theatre has three wheelchair spaces and eight companion seats in the auditorium. There is stepfree, level access to all levels of the building and to seating in the stalls. Wheelchair-accessible toilets are located on the ground floor; accessible parking is available on Madden Street.
HOW TO BOOK ACCESS TICKETS
Access tickets for Deaf and disabled patrons are available for $20. One companion ticket per theatre-goer is also available for $20. To find out more and for Deaf and blind/low-visionfriendly booking options, contact us:
At Box Office – visit ASB Waterfront Theatre at 138 Halsey Street, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland
Audio Described Performances – Audio Described Aotearoa Ltd
NZSL Interpreted Performances – Platform Interpreting New Zealand
Deaf Community Engagement Advisor – Rachel Walker
Relaxed Performance Consultants – Stacey Francis, Gabby Hogg, Christopher Michael
Thanks to Katie Querin and Arts Access Aotearoa for your support and guidance.
Sign up to receive news about the accessibility programme: atc.co.nz/ticketing-info/accessible-theatre
CELEBRATE A DECADE WITH US
In 2016, Auckland Theatre Company realised a long-held dream: a theatre to call home. Ten years on, we are celebrating this anniversary. Keep an eye on our emails and social media pages for events, peeks behind the scenes and more stories from 10 years of ASB Waterfront Theatre.
HOW WAS THE PLAY?
Tell us what you thought about your experience seeing Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express. Scan the QR code to complete a short survey and help us demonstrate the value of arts and culture in Tāmaki Makaurau.
“A beautifully written play that merges Greek tragedy with classic post-war plays like [those by] Arthur Miller.” — Stuff
