Bay Harbour: June 21, 2017

PAGE 18 BAY HARBOUR Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Wednesday June 21 2017
Theatre/Arts
Tickets on
sale NOW!
Masked actor grew up in Sumner
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
USING FACIAL expressions to
express a story is normally an
actor’s lifeline for executing a
great stage performance.
But not for Andrew Ford, 34,
who has delved into mastering
the art of deception and disguise
in a show featuring predominantly
masked
characters.
Auckland-based
Ford, who grew
up in Sumner,
will set foot on
the Isaac Theatre
Andrew
Ford
Royal stage as a
bombastic villain
in a comedy about
love, death and preserves.
He said the show has been a
challenge because he has had to
emphases his body movements
and voice, rather than rely on the
simplicity of facial expressions.
“It is great because it gives you
permission to give really big,
larger than life performances,
which I enjoy doing,” the former
Hagley Theatre Company student
said.
As part of Indian Ink Theatre
Company’s 20th anniversary national
tour, Ford has been cast as
George Reaper in the company’s
award-winning play, The Pickle
COMEDY: Andrew Ford as George Reaper and Vanessa Kumar playing Anmachy in The Pickle
King.
King. He describes his character
as over-the-top, flamboyant and
in love with the sound of his own
voice.
Ford has had a colourful career
since he graduated from Auckland’s
Unitec in 2008.
Five times Ford has performed
in Christchurch’s Anthony
Harper Summer Theatre show
and was recently in this year’s
performance of Robin Hood.
Shortland St fans may have
seen Ford make a guest appearance
on the soap as an “insensitive
doctor”.
He said things happen very
quickly behind the scenes and
actors need to be at the top of
their game.
Although a comedy, The Pickle
King tells the story of a blind
receptionist working at a crumbling
hotel in Wellington who
believes she is cursed as everyone
she loves dies.
In spite of the curse, she falls
in love with a another hotel
employee and at the same time
a mysterious new guest (Ford)
checks into the hotel who she
believes to be the Grim Reaper.
“For me, the main message
about the show, and it may
be corny, is about having the
courage to love someone . . . she
feels cursed but still falls in love,”
Ford said.
As part of Indian Ink’s
anniversary celebrations, the
original performance of The
Pickle King about 15 years
ago has been changed from a
heterosexual to a same sex love
story.
Ford said very little of the
script needed to be adapted and
it was nice to see audiences were
accepting of the gender change
in the show.
The show also touches on
immigration and the difficulty
many face when they move to
a new country and find their
qualifications mean nothing.
•The Pickle King will run
at the Isaac Theatre Royal
from today until Saturday.
To book tickets go to http://
isaactheatreroyal.co.nz
•Free mask workshops
will also be run by Indian Ink
Theatre Company. For more
information, go to https://
indianink.co.nz
Saturday 8 – Saturday 22 July 2017
Tickets on
sale NOW!
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