The Star: June 29, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Thursday June 29 2017 31
Theatre/Arts
ISAAC THEATRE ROYAL CHRISTCHURCH
25th July- 10am, 12pm & 3pm 26th july - 10am & 12pm
BOOK: 0800 TICKETEK www.isaactheatreroyal.co.nz
PRESENTED BY:
Late bloomer tackles big role
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
TOM TREVELLA was a
late bloomer when it came to
securing his first professional
gig as an artist on stage.
Trevella, 46, spent his earlier
years travelling the world.
It wasn’t until the Lyttelton
resident returned to the city in
his 30s that he met director/
actor Derek Doddington and his
theatre career began to blossom.
When Doddington founded
Top Dog Theatre in 2003,
Trevella was one of the first
performers to jump on
board by starring in Steven
Berkoff’s gritty drama West.
It was at Top Dog that Trevella
was spotted by The Court
Theatre’s artistic director Ross
Gumbley, who gave him his first
professional role in the original
play Happy Coupling in 2006.
“During my 20s, I did a lot of
travelling and got life experience
in a way and was able to bring
that into theatre . . . it is not
something I had a concentrated
effort to do, I just sort of fell into
it,” he said.
More than a decade on, after
establishing himself as a regular
in the city’s art scene, he will
feature in Top Dog’s latest
comedy Up ‘N’ Under by John
Godber.
Trevella will play the role of
ex-professional rugby league
player Arthur who bets his life
savings he can train a team to
beat the undefeated ‘Wheatsheaf
Arms’.
He said the show is almost a
re-staging of Sylvester Stallone’s
movie Rocky – but told through
rugby league.
Trevella was also one of
CHALLENGE:
The cast
of Up ‘n’
Under – Tom
Trevella as
Arthur (back
left), Dougal
Frame as
Tony, Dan
Crossen
as Frank,
Miriam van
Voorthuizen
as Hazel
(front left),
Aaron Boyce
as Steve/
Reg Welsh
and Darren
Sundborn as
Phil.
the first on the scene when
the Loons Theatre Trust, now
the Lyttelton Arts Factory,
was established in 2007. He
still performs with the theatre
company.
He appeared in its first
production of The Butler by Joe
Bennett, which ended up touring
in Islington, London, for
three weeks.
Since the February 2011
earthquake, Trevella has
seen great changes in the
Lyttelton Arts Factory with
the establishment of its new
building on 1 Sumner Rd.
Trevella is one of a limited
number in the city who have
managed to make theatre their
main profession.
“I don’t have an expensive
house, dog, car, partner or
children . . . those are the sort
of things a theatre career can’t
support,” he said.
When he returned home from
his travels, Trevella spent several
years working in varied jobs in
the city before he got his first
professional gig.
This included driving trams,
working at the Christchurch Art
Gallery and selling swimming
pool chemicals.
Trevella said a highlight of
his travels was living in New
York city for two years, where
he learned he is the smallest of
the small, a lesson which gave
him the licence to be whoever he
wanted to be.
•Up ‘N’ Under will run at
the Lyttelton Arts Factory
from July 12-22. To book
tickets, go to http://
topdogtheatre.com/shows/
up-n-under/
In Brief
WOMEN IN THEATRE
A social gathering will be held
for women in theatre to discuss
issues faced within its industry
and how they can make a difference
together. It will discuss the
need for more female directors,
writers, performers, producers,
board members and back-stage
in the city. The gathering is to be
held on Sunday, 6.30pm at the
Exchange Christchurch – XCHC
on 376 Wilsons Rd North.
SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD
Newly-formed theatre company
So Keen Productions will present
its first show of the season Songs
For A New World by Jason
Robert Brown. It will run at The
Great Hall: Christchurch Arts
Centre, Worcester Boulevard
from next Wednesday to Sunday.
To book tickets go to https://
sokeenproductions.org/
SNOW WHITE
The Court Theatre will stage
Snow White as its latest show for
the upcoming school holidays.
All kids’ shows are recommended
for children aged three to seven.
Tickets are $10 for under-18s
and $15 for adults. There will be
a relaxed performance of Snow
White on July 22, 11am. For
more information go to https://
courttheatre.org.nz
Saturday 8 – Saturday 22 July 2017
Tickets on
sale NOW!