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John Gabriel Borkman

Henrik Ibsen's last play John Gabriel Borkman was directed by Emannuel E Garcia. Winner of “Best Drama” award in the 2012 Wellington District Theatre Federation Full Length Play Competition. Watch on YouTube Director’s notes Although John Gabriel Borkman was extraordinarily popular when it premiered in 1896 and was produced throughout Europe the following year, it has had relatively few appearances on the modern stage, a notable exception being the recent revival by the Abbey Theatre in 2010. On the surface, the play chronicles the fate of an embezzler, and thus resonates with topical relevance in an age of  financial skulduggery.  However Borkman reaches far below the

Communicating Doors

John Marwick directed Alan Ayckbourn's Communicating Doors on an elaborate set in October 2012. " Time for a giggle, a laugh, a shock and a bit of suspense. Publicity 2012 Have you ever wondered what is behind those locked doors in your hotel room? Playwright Alan Ayckbourn wondered enough to write a play with the mysterious doors as its central theme. He had gazed at the secret doors which always lead to other rooms and which are always locked, giving him what he called a “Tardis feeling” as if you could go through into a different time zone. The result was his riotous time-travelling comedy-thriller Communicating

What You Will (or Twelfth Night)

John Marwick directed Bard in the Yard 2013 and gave Twelfth Night Shakespeare's alternative title of What You Will.  Watch on YouTube Publicity 2013 This year's production is entitled What You WILL - Shakespeare's own alternative name for the play better known as Twelfth Night.Award-winning Director John Marwick is directing a great cast of actors from Eastbourne, Lower Hutt and Wellington and he is also taking the part of Sir Toby Belch.The play will be an exuberant summer celebration of life, love, laughter.This is an outside production so dress warmly - but we will move inside if the weather is bad. Director John Marwick takes

Barry Mawer as Madame Bon Bon

Beauty and the Beast

The Troupe presented Beauty and the Beast - a pantomime by David Swan in July 2013 directed Florence McFarlane. Publicity 2013 The show is a typical fun family pantomime set in the Village of Cabaret and the Enchanted Castle, where the traditional struggle of good over evil takes place. The princes are identical twins, one good and the other bad. The evil prince puts a curse on his brother and turns him into The Beast so he can take the crown. The Widow Bonbon, the dame who runs a sweet shop, comes to the rescue by starting a revolution to get rid of the bad

A Life in the Theatre

A Life in the Theatre by David Mamet was directed by Emanuel E Garcia in November 2013 with a cast of two. Publicity 2013 Butterfly Creek Theatre Troupe presents a play which gives the audience snapshots of two theatre actors at very different points in their careers. Robert (played by John Marwick), is an old hand in the theatre, and John (played by Avi Duckor-Jones), a relative new-comer and initially eager to learn. Robert’s guidance is welcomed by John at first but as the older man’s acting and mentoring skills start to falter, John emerges as a confident and mature player. Mamet has structured the

Romeo and Juliet

Bard in the Yard in 2014 was Romeo and Juliet directed by John Marwick with a Romeo who was making his debut on any stage and Juliet who has gone on to a professional acting career overseas. Watch on YouTube Publicity 2014 For 2014’s outdoor summer Bard in the Yard production the Troupe brings the greatest love story of them all to the magical Muritai School Yard. Shakespeare’s superb tale of tragic young love will be brought to life in a simple, timeless production that focuses on the story, the people and the passion. For this production, Director John Marwick has chosen the pared-back style of

Three Sisters

The mid-year production in 2014 was Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters directed by Emanuel E Garcia. Watch on YouTube Comments from Local Artist & Poet Suzanne Herschell Well, I went to 3 Sisters tonight. The play deserved a much bigger audience because it was simply amazing, Was there anything for a critic to find fault with? The set was so good, the Marc Chagall images a wonderful evocative backdrop, costumes lovely. But what really stunned me was the individual acting. Each person owned their character and played the particular role so well with distinct personality. It is unfair to single out any actors when they were all superb.

Second Thought Smoko

October 2014 saw Second Thought Smoko - a new play written by Troupe member Mike McJorrow and directed by newcomer Brittany McKendry. We currently only have two photos from the show. Publicity 2014 Billy is top employee at the Goodie Goodie Gelato Stop. He works hard, loves his job and dreams of becoming manager.  Today his dream can come true – nothing can go wrong … or can it? Butterfly Creek’s next production Second Thought Smoko, is a fast-moving farce set in a gelato shop. First-time playwright, Mike McJorrow, has developed characters he hopes will ring a bell for everyone – “I know someone like

Hamlet

William Shakespeare's great tragedy was directed by Emanuel E Garcia for our Bard in the Yard 2015. Watch on YouTube Cast Bernardo: David Gledhil Claudius: Hayden Rogers Fortinbras: Iain Gordon Francisco: Peter Hughson Gertrude: Renee Christie Gravedigger: Anne Manchester Hamlet: Benjamin Haddock Horatio: Laurie Ward Laertes: Mike McJorrow Marcellus: Andy Hall Ophelia: Harriet Prebble Osric: Erin Murphy Player King: Anne Manchester Player Queen: Sandra Gillespie Players: Erin Murphy, Iain Gordon (who will perform on mandolin during “The Mousetrap”) Polonius: Manny Garcia     Publicity 2015 The Hutt News 3 Mar 2015 Hamlet in original form Something is rotten in the state of Denmark: Actors in Butterfly Creek

Pygmalion

Florence McFarlane directed Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw in June 2015. Check out the marvellous video of our production of Pygmalion - thanks to Hayden Rogers. Director’s Notes May 2015 “Pygmalion” rehearsals are well under way with all scenes now covered. I’m working with a great cast committed to bringing this classic to today’s audience with all the freshness of its first showing in 1914. When GBS wrote the play travel was still the prerogative of the ‘well-to-do’ and thus Professor Higgins could place a person’s place of birth within a mile in London with the utmost confidence, knowing that they lived and died without venturing

Animal Farm

Animal Farm by George Orwell adapted by Peter Hall Directed by Barry Mawer, music by Richard Peaslee, lyrics Adrian Mitchell. Publicity 2015 The award-winning Butterfly Creek Theatre Troupe is bringing George Orwell’s Animal Farm to the stage with a dramatisation originally adapted from the book by Peter Hall, former Director of the National Theatre, London.  This fast-moving musical play of George Orwell’s classic satire is fresh and immensely enjoyable without compromising the original material in the book.  In fact it is very faithful to the book and includes a large cast of farm animals (played by adults and children).  Director Barry Mawer says that the

The Tempest

Bard in the Yard 2016 was The Tempest directed by Emannuel E Garcia. Watch on YouTube Director’s Notes The Tempest, widely considered to be Shakespeare’s last play and a summary comment on his creative endeavours, is a unique blend of magic and realism.  It is a story about a usurped monarch, slavery, love and redemption, and a brave new world of possibilities.  Our production will emphasise the surreal and dreamlike nature of the drama, as well as its earthiness and ambiguity.  We are fortunate enough to have an experienced cast of Shakespeareans, as well as original live music specifically composed for this Bard in the Yard

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