Toscars 2021 Results

Success was the theme of the night, and what a success it was for Sylvia!

On March 12th the 2021 Toscars were held at the New Plymouth Little Theatre. This is an opportunity to celebratre all of the hard work that goes in to the production of each show that plays on the little theatre stage.

First there was Sylvia, a show that while small in cast numbers, packed a huge punch with talent. Who would have thought, watching a human play a dog could be so darn entertaining. The reviews were spectacular!

Then there was the Full Monty an NZ amateur premiere. Turns out New Plymouth wanted to see some skin, because the audience literally couldn’t get enough, and every time a new show was announced it was sold out quicker than you could refresh your browser.

At the end the year, we had the The Vicar of Dibley Christmas Special. A show that proved to be the highest grossing show in NPLT’s history!! No, no, no, no….YES!!!!

So now we would like to congratulate the winners of the 2021 Toscars.

Best Under 19 – Flynn Wilson – ‘Nathan’ in The Full Monty

Most Promising – Rebecca Williamson – ‘Kate’ in Sylvia

Best Support Actor – Morris West – ‘Gerald’ in The Full Monty

Best Supporting Actress – Jo Morrissey – ‘Tom, Phyllis and Leslie’ in Sylvia

Best Set – SylviaBest Actress – Frankie Roberts – ‘Sylvia’ in Sylvia

Best Actor – Chris Watson – ‘Greg’ in Sylvia

Best Production – Sylvia

President’s Cup – Suzy Adair

Best Club Member – Gillian Gibbons

Backstage Excellence – Chris Morrison

Technical Excellence – Simon Mosely

Distinguished Service – Brian Smith

Pictured is the cast of Sylvia, who had a smashing success of awards on the night. Well done everyone!!!

**Audition Notice**

New Plymouth Little Theatre proudly presents the community theatre production of ‘The Thrill of Love’, by special arrangement with Nick Hearn Books and New Zealand Play Bureau Ltd.

The Thrill of Love

Written by Amanda Whittington

Directed by Mikel O’Connell and Suzanna Adair


A hostess in the West End ‘gentlemen’s clubs’, Ruth Ellis works hard, plays hard and dreams of a movie-star life. Yet in 1955, the self-styled ‘blonde bombshell’ is convicted of murder and becomes the last woman to be hanged in Great Britain.


Ruth’s crime is re-examined in the light of the society she lived in and the experiences that led to her shooting her lover. Through the eyes of film noir Detective Inspector Gale – and the haunting voice of Billie Holiday – The Thrill of Love explores the enigma of Ruth Ellis: a woman whose short but explosive life still resonates.


Audition details: When: 12.30 – 4.30pm Sunday 21st November.

Where: New Plymouth Little Theatre Foyer.

Email: marketing@littletheatre.co.nz for audition script pieces.


Characters:

Ruth Ellis: A young, blonde, nightclub hostess.

Jack Gale: A pessimistic seasoned detective inspector.

Sylvia Shaw: The experienced nightclub manageress who likes to look richer than she is.

Vickie Martin: A young, ambitious model and actress with dreams of being a dancer.

Doris Judd: A compassionate, respectful, charwoman.

Behind the scenes at The Full Monty

Morris West is one of the six leading men in the New Zealand community theatre premiere of The Full Monty. Every week he gives us a behind the scenes peep at The Full Monty rehearsals, the cheeky shenanigans, and the naked photo shoots. This is week seven of rehearsals, the tech team is moving in and the boys have been out and about in public giving interviews.

Well, the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT is out! Five more shows go on sale to the public on Wednesday, meaning that the run will end on my 65th birthday. I hadn’t planned anything special, but special it will be.

Including today we have 6 weeks, or 42 days, or 17 official rehearsal nights…but no pressure.

Rehearsals continue well and all are working hard on their lines, accents and pitch…even ALAN ALAN ALAN!!

Nathan (lights) and Brian (sound)officially joined the team last night and look to real involvement from here on in and both have a significant input to the success of the show.

April has rejigged the choreography for the final number following a mix up over Cocker versus Jones…but apparently there was already enough cock-er in the show. My wife, Lynda, held the first waltz practice and this will be a regular Sunday feature leading up to the big day.

Four of the lads spent an hour with the More FM crew during their 12 hour fund-raising stint and it was a very popular time in their office. There is real excitement out there in the community. I have a feeling that come Wednesday evening that there may still be a number of disappointed people.

Backstage things have now been cleared so that we can fit everyone in as well as manage a number of quick changes.

Loving this show…loving the people.

P.S. Our leading man, Jimmy, had an outpatient visit to Hawera Hospital. Rumour has it that he injured himself nicking girders.

THE DETAILS: The Full Monty, a play by Simon Beaufoy and directed by John Lawson, is on at New Plymouth Little Theatre from July 14. Tickets to the extension go on sale on Wednesday June 2 at noon from iTicket.

Jazzing it up on stage at The Full Monty

Jazz Gallagher has fallen in love with the theatre, and at the theatre. Ahead of her appearance in The Full Monty we sat down with her to find out about those theatrical love affairs, why Alan Rickman floats her boat, and how she’s rising above anorexia.


Hey Jazz! You’re playing Michelle in The Full Monty. Why did you audition for the show?
I love being on stage and I go to every audition I can. But specifically for this show I wanted my fiance Jimmy to be on stage again as it’s where he really flourishes and it makes him so happy. I’m stoked that I get to share in that happiness and be on stage with him again.

What are three things people should know about you?
* I am the current 2nd Runner Up to the Miss Taranaki crown and I was the 2020 Miss Personality.
* I love to bake, and whilst my Jimmy swears it’s all good, I do have my doubts sometimes.
* One of my closest friends took my fiance’s pants off before I did as she was his dresser at Priscilla. This also happens to be the reason we met.

What’s your favorite thing about being involved with The Full Monty so far?
Not going to lie, watching Jimmy’s dance rehearsals! I never knew how natural dancing seems to be for him and unfortunately for him it means our first dance for the wedding will be choreographed to the nines. (However it will not include any of the stripper moves he may have learned)

If you were going to strip on stage, what would your signature song be, and why? 
Killer Queen by Queen, it’s just an anthem and constantly on repeat in my playlist. It just has a vibe about it which I resonate with.

All time favourite movie, song, artwork, book or play?
Movie: Labyrinth
Song: Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson
Book: Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neil
Play: Heathers by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe.

What’s something you’re really proud of?
A while back I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. I had spent my entire life being told that I would look better if I lost some weight. Once I did, everyone kept telling me how good I looked, how much better I looked, and that stuck with me. I was so determined to remain this fraction of myself that people were praising that I couldn’t see how sick I had gotten, even when my hair was falling out in fistfuls and I couldn’t sleep because my spine was so close to the surface. 

So, what I’m most proud of is how I eventually managed to start trying to get my life back. Since the start of this year I have been in recovery, and at times it has meant crying on the bathroom floor at 1am because I’m so scared of gaining weight, but more importantly I’ve been able to actually be present in my life again. I am so proud of myself that I’ve given myself a future again and not followed down the path of a death sentence. 

If you could have dinner with any three people from history, who would you pick and why?
Controversial, but Michael Jackson because I love his music and would love to pick his brain, due to the fact he is all I listened to from the ages of 7-14. 

Alan Rickman because Hans Gruber was iconic and elevated the standard for movie villains to a whole new level.

And the third is tied for David Bowie and Freddie Mercury because I aspire to their level of “I don’t care what you’re talking about as long as you’re talking about me.” To be fair though, there is a chance I’m marrying Mercury’s reincarnation, as Jimmy was born almost exactly when he died. Just a fun little fact.

Why is theatre special for you?
I love being involved in theatre. I always thought my calling was being on the stage, but after being a dresser at Operatic Society’s production of Priscilla, I found I just love being in that environment. Being able to step into a place where nothing that’s happening outside matters and you focus on putting your whole self into a production. It’s my world. 

Plus, I also met Jimmy through theatre, and he has been the only thing keeping me sane when I’m not involved in a show.

How does it feel to sell out a show so quickly?
Absolutely incredible. But also not surprising – it’s humourous and heartfelt and everything you could want from a production, plus it means I get to show off my fiancee to so many people. That being said, it has been great for Jimmy’s self esteem but hopefully it’s not going to give him an ego, or else he’s sleeping on the couch.

What are you most looking forward to, or most nervous about for The Full Monty?
Easy, my entire family being there opening night, to see Jimmy in ALL his glory! I imagine he will be avoiding eye contact with them all for a while.

Photos by Monique Matthews Photography, with interview by Taryn Raynes


THE DETAILS: The Full Monty is on at New Plymouth Little Theatre from July 14. An extended season goes on sale at noon on Wednesday June 2 at iTicket.

He’s on fire in The Full Monty

Brad Duynhoven is gearing up to get his gear off in The Full Monty. We caught up with him to find out about his fire dancing, his go-to stripping song, and who he’d invite to a special dinner.


Hey Brad! You’re playing one of the strippers, Dave, in The Full Monty. How are you feeling about getting your gear off in front of so many people? 
Super self conscious, not sure how I’ll ever be able to do it. No, actually totally fine. I feel people’s bodies should be more accepted in general, I’m way more apprehensive being forced to do these marketing Q&As.

Why did you audition for The Full Monty?
The chance to flash hundreds of people every week and not get handcuffed sounded like too good of an opportunity to pass up.

You have some pretty cool hobbies outside of theatre, can you tell us about those? 
In my spare time I enjoy getting out to music over the summer. Over the last couple years I’ve coached a kids’ rugby team and I’ve been trying to get more involved in stage performing.

A more uncommon pass time I have is using a dragonstaff, which is a grippy staff with fire at either end that I spin and roll around my body. It’s safer than it sounds. I’ve never managed to seriously burn myself and it’s a total hit at parties. You may have seen me using an LED version around the Festival of Lights.

If you were a stripper in real life, what would your stage name be, and what would be your signature stripping song? 
Well since I would need to be stripping to the classic strip club anthem Bad Girlfriend by Theory of a Deadman, so I would need to be in drag. So my name would be Zizi Sou-vage (thanks Pintrest).

Morris West, Regan Tate, Jimmy Bovaird, Brad Duynhoven, Howard Rozon and Tyler McGlone are the six leading men in the New Zealand amateur premiere of The Full Monty. CREDIT: MONIQUE MATTHEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

If you could have dinner and drinks with any three people from history, who would you pick, and what would you talk about? 
Genghis Khan – How he manages all his “wives” and how he feels about 8 per cent of all Asian men and one in 200 people worldwide being his great (to the power of god knows) grandchildren.

King Edward VIII – What “special” skills Wallis Simpson truly had and was it really worth not being king.

My mum – I’d ask what she thought of The Full Monty

Why should people come along to The Full Monty?
The chance to see a totally hilarious show supporting some talented local talent (and me *waves*)
It may even contain a few sneaky heartwarming moments in between the laughs, nudity and quality dancing.

Fire photos by Katie Fromings and interview with Taryn Raynes


THE DETAILS: The Full Monty, a play by Simon Beaufoy and directed by John Lawson, is on at New Plymouth Little Theatre from July 14. Tickets from www.iticket.co.nz.

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