Western News: July 12, 2016

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10 Tuesday July 12 2016 Our People WESTERN NEWS Rebekah Head Diving deep into new role as The Little Mermaid will be visiting the city as part of her big above-sea experience. Played by Rebekah Head, she spoke to Georgia O’Connor- Harding about playing mythical Maori character Pania of the Reef’s mermaid grand-daughter, living out of a suitcase and what she hopes to do next. Hey Rebekah, how have the rehearsals been going? It is has been a fast rehearsal process but it is a lot of fun and laughs. There are three actors. Unlike me, the other two actors get to do a lot of costume changes and swapping between other roles so I have the easy job in that sense. How come the little mermaid in this show is called PJ rather than the Princess Ariel we all know from Disney? The show adapted by Alison Horsley has incorporated the story of Pania of the Reef. There is a statue in Napier and she is part of Maori mythology. It is a New Zealand story. So PJ the mermaid is the grand-daughter of Pania of the Reef. It is definitely a more localised story. Have you grown up watching the Disney version of The Little Mermaid? Definitely. Religiously. So how does it feel to be the mermaid of the show? It is very exciting and a bit nerve-racking because I think lots of people have The Little Mermaid in their head already. I am looking forward to creating my own version. Hopefully that is something people enjoy. How are you planning to portray yourself differently to The Little Mermaid we all know? Ariel was a large inspiration for the character but that is quite an American story so I have tried to make myself into more of a Kiwi mermaid. The wonderful work from the costume ladies has helped. The magnificent tails, with loads of sequins fellow actor Jane and I both wear, make it easy to take on the character. Following on from studying at National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art, are you EMERGING PERFORMER: Former NASDA student Rebekah Head is making her way in the performing arts industry in New Zealand. performing full-time? I am trying to perform fulltime but it is a bit tricky because performing jobs only last a month or two especially shows. You rehearse them for two weeks and then perform them for two weeks. I have been moving around Auckland, Christchurch and Hawke’s Bay in the last few months with various kids shows. Last year, I toured around New Zealand and Australia for a few months with the New Zealand Playhouse. Would touring Australia be the main highlight since leaving NASDA? Definitely touring Australia for 10 months was a highlight. It was a crazy experience – I saw a lot of cool places. We started in Brisbane and went all the way across to Perth. We drove all the way, too. We performed high school and primary school shows. Our show for high schools was an adaptation of the Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Our primary school show was called Jack Flash and the Jumping Beanstalk. They were 50 minute shows and they were performed three time a day. Do you ever get tired of the performing lifestyle? No, but the performing lifestyle is a specific one. I feel like I have spent the last two years living out of a suitcase, which perhaps isn’t everybody’s lifestyle choice, but I love it and won’t be stopping anytime soon. What was NASDA in the city like because I hear it is tough? I think any performing school is tough. You learn a lot about yourself because it is a very vulnerable craft to be doing. 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WESTERN NEWS Tuesday July 12 2016 11 Maori-inspired little mermaid What did you learn about yourself? I suppose you learn how you behave as a person with other people when you are under a lot of pressure. There are quite a lot of time pressures at NASDA. A lot of creative art can’t be forced. You learn a lot when you are pushed to your limits. What do you enjoy about children’s shows compared to the other shows you have done? One of the most exciting things about children’s theatre is that children are the most honest audience members you are ever going to get. If they are not enjoying a show they will let you know because they will start moving around. It is exciting hearing all the things yelled out as well. What do you think about the relaxed performance for children, including those with an Autism Spectrum Condition or learning disability? I think it is wonderful they are making this show accessible for people who wouldn’t feel comfortable bringing their children to the theatre. Children are always yelling out different things so I don’t think it would be too different for us. Tell me about the other performers in the show. In the Disney performance Eric is known as the Prince. But in our show, Isaac Pawson is playing a character called Dylan. But I wouldn’t really call him a prince. It is a modern tale of The Little Mermaid. He is just a cool guy who lives in Christchurch. Jane Leonard will be playing Pania of the Reef and Pania’s evil sister Kelpie. Pania of the Reef is a New Zealand character but Kelpie the evil twin is more of a Cruella De Vil type of vibe. So what’s next? After this I am going to go travelling to Europe for a month. I am starting off in London and then going to Barcelona. It is more of an overseas experience. I will be watching a lot of shows. I already have a lot booked at West End in London. I am going to Matilda The Musical, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night- Time, which the Court Theatre is doing next year. When I come home it will be back into the performing. Going to West End, are there any companies you dream of performing for in the future? The Court Theatre was something I have always hoped to perform [for] and I feel lucky to be performing with them, so hopefully again one day. I would also like to perform for the Auckland Theatre Company. Obviously, the West End would be an amazing dream come true but it is one in the distance. I saw on your biography you are a member of Equity New Zealand? What is that all about? Basically, it is a union for actors – somewhere to go if they need help with sorting out contracts or finding out your rights as an actor. Just making sure you are looked after. They offer free workshops to actors to extend their performing skills. I think it is important to join this support system. It is also a wonderful way to stay connected with other actors in the industry. I have been a member for two years. And last but not least, why do you think people should come to The Little Mermaid? It is a fun, funny show that has something for everyone. I am excited to be doing a kids show that has lots of songs in it as well. I think putting songs in a kids show creates a wonderful flow. It has been awesome working with Matt Everingham who has done all the music. All of us actors are ex-NASDA students which is cool. We were not in the same year but we were all in three consecutive years. ABOVE THE SEA: Rebekah will play the role of The Little Mermaid in the upcoming production at The Court Theatre. Clever? Compact? LARGE? However you like it - Our work spans all types of house building When it comes to scope and style the homes you see here are just the tip of the roofline. With decades in the business the team at Artisian Homes have worked in all areas of residential construction. There are obvious differences between building a two-bedroom home compared to a six bedroom one. 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Western News: July 12, 2016

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