The Star: May 09, 2019

news online at www.star.kiwi
The Star Thursday May 9 2019
THEATRE/ARTS 21
Gender bending role for Phoebe
• By Georgia O’Connor-
Harding
BEING THE first in the country
to land the leading role in a
highly-acclaimed production
exploring gender identity is a
“once in a lifetime opportunity”
for Phoebe Hurst.
The Christchurch-based
performer plays the complex
cross-gender role of Yitzhak
in the New Zealand premiere
of Hedwig and the Angry Inch,
which is debuting at The Court
Theatre on Saturday.
The show, which is described
by Rolling Stone magazine as
the “best rock musical ever” and
received four Tony Awards, tells
the story of German emigrant
Hedwig – a rock’n’roll singer and
victim of a botched sex change
operation.
Hurst’s role of Yitzhak is
the husband of the show’s
protagonist Hedwig – played by
Adam Rennie.
“It is not something I have
done a lot of (cross-gender
acting), but it is something I am
very excited to do because it is
quite a different energy, playing a
man,” Hurst, 29, said.
She said it is really exciting to
have a show that is important
to the queer community staged
at The Court Theatre, which
is one of the longest running
companies in New Zealand.
But she wanted to stress it is
a story anybody can relate to,
while it is about gender identity,
it is also about people learning to
be okay with who they are.
“It is about discovering
yourself and realising you don’t
necessarily need to have somebody
else there to be complete,”
she said.
Hurst has been on her own
journey, having opened up last
year about living with depression
and the difficulties of making a
career in the theatre industry.
“It is something (depression)
that a lot of people in the arts
industry particularly deal with. I
guess my approach is to be really
transparent and frank about it,”
she said.
While there were a number
of other factors which have
contributed to her depression,
she said it is common in the
theatre industry because of
the constant rejection, the
vulnerability performers
experience on stage and the
READY TO ROCK:
Phoebe Hurst
rehearsing for
Hedwig and the
Angry Inch. ​
financial difficulty.
But Hurst said she doesn’t
want to do anything else for
work unless she has to.
“I continue acting because I
love it. I love to sing, I love acting
and I love putting on different
people’s skins and working out
who they are,” she said.
She stresses the best way
to take away the pressure the
theatre industry faces is by
people actually getting out and
watching performances in the
city.
Hurst said there are lots
of great companies putting
on unique work including
Blackboard Theatre
Company, Orange Studios,
Little Andromeda and Two
Productions.
Originally from North
Canterbury, Hurst attended the
Hagley Theatre Company before
going on to Toi Whakaari, which
she graduated from in 2011.
She decided to move back to
the city in 2016 so she could
continue contributing to the
theatre scene and to be with her
family.
• Hedwig and the Angry
Inch runs at The Court
Theatre from May 11 to
June 1. To book tickets go
to www.courttheatre.org.nz
An evening of great music with the
UC Christchurch Youth Orchestra
The UC Christchurch Youth Orchestra presents
Worlds Apart
Saturday 11 May
Christchurch Boys’ High School Hall,
Straven Rd, 7.30pm
Featuring music by:
Lilburn, Gershwin, Greig, Tichelli
and Prokofiev
Tickets from Eventfinda
$20 adults
$15 Seniors
$5 Students
ARTC8330
There’s something very special about hearing
a full orchestra of young people perform
some of the great classics.
So come and join our young musicians,
conducted by Helen Renaud, in a concert
of wonderful music from around the world.
From the beautiful lakes and mountains
of New Zealand with Lilburn’s Aotearoa
Overture to the noisy and bustling streets of
Paris in Gershwin’s American in Paris this
will be a concert of wonderful melodies and
great contrasts.
Our talented strings will perform Holberg
Suite by Greig, a five-movement work based
on 18th century dances before the wind,
brass and percussion of the concert band will
entertain with a rollicking and humorous
jazz inspired Blue Shades by Tichelli. Finally
from Russia, one of Prokofiev’s most wellknown
works and his first foray into film
music, the Lieutenant Kijé Suite. A concert
not to be missed.
The UC Christchurch Youth Orchestra
was founded in the 1970s and is the senior
orchestra of the Christchurch School of
Music. The orchestra is a musically and
technically advanced orchestra for the city’s
musical youth to widen and develop their
musical and performing experience.
Each year the orchestra performs 3-4
concerts and can often be called on to
perform at corporate and community events.
Professional players from the Christchurch
Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand
Symphony Orchestra regularly work with
students at sectionals to coach them in the
nuances of orchestral playing.
In 2015 the CSM signed a sponsorship
agreement with the University of Canterbury
for the youth orchestra which is an exciting
development in the orchestra’s history. This
sponsorship gives naming rights to the
university and ensures the players can have
access to interesting repertoire and essential
equipment.
The musicians of the UC Christchurch
Youth Orchestra under their conductor have
worked hard to bring this concert to life so
come along and enjoy a wonderful evening
of great music.