Michael Hurst / Director

In a career spanning more than three decades, Michael has become one of New Zealand’s leading actors and directors. His theatre credits include roles as varied as Mozart in Peter Schaeffer’s AMADEUS, Riff-Raff in Richard O’Brian’s THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW and The Widow Twankey in ALADDIN. His musical roles include Koko in THE MIKADO, Judge Turpin in Stephen Sondheim’s SWEENEY TODD, Macheath and Tiger Brown in Brecht and Weil’s THE THREEPENNY OPERA, King Herod in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and the Emcee in two previous productions of CABARET. Michael is also renowned for his interpretations of Shakespeare, including Hamlet, Macbeth, Richard III, Touchstone in AS YOU LIKE IT and the Fool in KING LEAR.

In 1993 Michael was cast in the role of Iolaus and co-starred in the US television series HERCULES – THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS, which ran for eight years and played to a world-wide audience.

Michael’s directing credits include SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, HAMLET, MACBETH, KING LEAR, TWELFTH NIGHT, THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, ‘TIS PITY SHE’S A WHORE, THE THREEPENNY OPERA, ROMEO AND JULIET, Joe Orton’s LOOT and most recently HAPPY DAYS by Samuel Beckett. He has also directed many episodes of the US television series HERCULES – THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS, XENA – WARRIOR PRINCESS and SPARTACUS – BLOOD AND SAND as well as the NZ feature film JUBILEE.

As well as being a founding member of Auckland’s Watershed Theatre in 1990, Michael is a patron of TAPAC (The Auckland Performing Arts Centre), a Trustee of the AUSA Outdoor Shakespeare Trust, an Artistic Associate of The Silo Theatre, a New Zealand Arts Laureate, and an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).
Michael is a proud member of Actors’ Equity.

Michael also plays the role of Emcee

Brooke Williams / Actor

This is Brooke's fourth production with Auckland Theatre Company having previously appeared in THE CRUCIBLE, FEMALE OF THE SPECIES and THE PILLOWMAN since graduating from from Toi Whakaari in 2006.

Brooke's favourite theatre credits include THE CHERRY ORCHARD at the Court Theatre, Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST with the Peripeteia players at Hawke Sea Scout Hall in Cox's Bay (on the sea!) and MR MARMALADE at Bats Theatre for which she was awarded the 2009 Chapman Tripp Award for Most Promising Female Newcomer.

Screen work includes GO GIRLS, SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND, LEGEND OF THE SEEKER, OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE and the upcoming feature films PREDICAMENT and ICE.

Gareth Reeves / Actor

A graduate of The Hagley Theatre Company and Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, Gareth has worked in theatres throughout New Zealand. Auckland appearances include HUSHABYE MOUNTAIN, OBSERVE THE SONS OF ULSTER MARCHING TOWARDS THE SOMME, THE RETURN and PLENTY. For the Auckland Theatre Company he has appeared in ROMEO & JULIET, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, THE PILLOWMAN, THE CRUCIBLE, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? and CALIGULA.

Television productions include THE CULT, UNDERBELLY, GO GIRLS, LEGEND OF THE SEEKER, THE MAN WHO LOST HIS HEAD and THE INSIDERS GUIDE TO LOVE (for which he won a New Zealand Film and Television Award for Best Actor in a Television Series). Gareth has appeared in feature films A SONG OF GOOD, UNDER THE MOUNTAIN, I'M NOT HARRY JENSON and will be seen in the upcoming features TRACKER and ICE.

Elizabeth Whiting / Costume Designer

Currently working for NBR NZ Opera in the MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Elizabeth’s previous costume designs for Auckland Theatre Company include SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS, DESIGN FOR LIVING, MY NAME IS GARY COOPER, THE PILLOWMAN, SWEET CHARITY, TWELFTH NIGHT, DOUBT, THE DUCHESS OF MALFI, EQUUS and WAITING FOR GODOT. The costume design for EQUUS was accepted for the Prague Design Quadrennial 2007 as part of the New Zealand exhibit BLOW – the second time her work has been shown internationally. Recently, her work was seen in AK09’s THE ARRIVAL.

Elizabeth has had an illustrious career designing for a wide range of performing arts organisations throughout New Zealand. Recent highlights include LA BOHEME, FALSTAFF, FAUST, THE BARBER OF SEVILLE and COSI FAN TUTTE (NBR New Zealand Opera), LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and THE COUNTRY WIFE (Court Theatre), THREE DAYS OF RAIN, THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED (Silo Theatre), as well as productions for the Auckland Festival and Southern Opera. Her work has also been seen in VERGE and SMASHING SWEET VIXEN (Royal New Zealand Ballet), AMATA (Black Grace Dance Company), TENT (Michael Parmenter Dance Company) and TAMA MA (Okareka Dance Company).

For Popup Theatre, London, she has designed a children’s play which was performed, among others, at the Edinburgh Festival.

Bryan Caldwell / Lighting Designer

Bryan’s most recent lighting designs for Auckland Theatre Company were HORSEPLAY and THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE. He has also lit for ATC BLACKBIRD, THE PILLOWMAN, the musical HAIR (Audience Award for Best Lighting Design), THE BLUE ROOM, ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, WAITING FOR GODOT, STONES IN HIS POCKETS, THE GOD BOY, WIT (Audience Award for Best Lighting Design), ART, CABARET, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN, CLOSER, THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, VITA AND VIRGINIA, JULIUS CAESAR, TWELVE ANGRY MEN, HONOUR, MASTERCLASS, ALL MY SONS, ARCADIA, MOLLY SWEENEY and UNCLE VANYA.

Over the last twenty three years, Bryan has lit more than two hundred productions for NZ’s top theatre and event companies, including NBR NZOpera, the Watershed Theatre, NZ Actors Company, the Mercury Theatre, and Inside Out Theatre. These include SONS OF CHARLIE PAORA at the Royal Court Theatre in London, THE HOLY SINNER at the Wellington International Festival of the Arts 2006, and Black Grace’s AMATA for AK07.

His event designs have been seen in New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong (the 150th Birthday Parties for Louis Vuitton), and in San Francisco, Sydney, and Paris (Inside Out Productions for Tourism NZ).

Bryan’s work extends beyond the role of lighting designer. He was co-creator and co-designer of the opera event VIVA VERDI! (OperaNZ), and co-produced and co-adapted ALICE IN WONDERLAND (Aotea Centre). He also co-created the installations OUR NAME IS OBJECT and I HAD A THOUGHT (Artspace Auckland) and created the video installation SECRET CITY SCAPE in downtown Auckland. He recently earned a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Auckland.

This design is Bryan’s first while living overseas. He currently resides in upstate New York with his family, researching the electrical properties of the heart.

Eden Mulholland / Sound Designer

Eden's compositional work is critically acclaimed and hugely diverse. Winner of Tempo Dance Festival Best Music Award for the past two consecutive years, Eden's modus operandi has been to write music that tells a story which creates a powerful, emotive and richly layered world. His music also explores all the frailty of human emotions, creating imaginary characters and motifs that could be from another planet.

Without formal music training, Eden has been able to develop his music in a less conventional manner, enabling a very experimental, unencumbered approach to composition - the results of which are often challenging and dramatically charged.

His recent credits include STEPPING OUT, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER, THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS, FEMALE OF THE SPECIES, DESIGN FOR LIVING, MY NAME IS GARY COOPER, THE PILLOWMAN and WHERE WE ONCE BELONGED (Auckland Theatre Company), LOST PROPERTY (Fidget Company, Belgium), MINIATURES and DARK TOURISTS (with Malia Johnston).

Eden also writes for television, film and commercials and has recently co-launched Mulholland Sound Ltd. Eden is also the singer and writer for Auckland pop group Motocade.