Cast

Nadia first joined Footlights in 2019, working on costumes for My Fair Lady, and then became a performing member in 2020 for the performance of Silver Linings. She hadn’t been on stage for around 7 years and loved every second of being back out there. Nadia likes to be super involved and help in any way she can; for the Revue, she was performing, in the band and also coordinating the costumes.

Nadia is thrilled to be playing Adelaide in Guys & Dolls, and is excited to be back in rehearsals with the amazing cast & crew, and is looking forward to an amazing show!

Ed has been a member of Footlights since the 2015 production of RENT and finds it to be the perfect escape from the world of teaching. Ed has loved being a part of the Footlights whānau and has been involved in nearly every show since joining; including 2016’s Legally Blonde as Emmett Forrest, 2018’s If/Then as Josh Barton and the 2019 production of My Fair Lady playing Professor Henry Higgins.

Ed enjoys long walks on the beach, reading, relentlessly referencing Vines and screaming along to mid 2000's pop punk bangers or the last few minutes of "I Know The End" by Phoebe Bridgers.

Ed is thrilled to be performing in Guys and Dolls and will give you his marker as a guarantee that you will walk away from the show having had a great time.

Emily K. Brown is a theatre maker from Chicago, IL who has been living in Wellington since 2019. When she isn’t working on her creative projects, you can find her working as a 111 Emergency Operator or binging true crime podcasts in her free time (since apparently, she doesn’t get enough of that at work…). Emily is so excited to be getting all “dolled up” to play Sarah in this production of Guys and Dolls and is ecstatic to be back on stage with Footlights once again; after previously performing in the ensemble of Footlights’ most recent production: Silver Linings: Songs from the Silver Screen. Other recent credits include: Numbskull (Creator/Host), This is Our Youth (Director), 4.48 Psychosis (Director), Cabaret (Fraulein Schneider), and The Addams Family (Wednesday).

Emily is so incredibly proud of the work everyone involved in the cast, crew, and band has put into this show and cannot wait to share it with the community. If you like Emily, and want to see more of her work, you can see Wellington Repertory Theatre’s production of Tennessee Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer which she will be directing in August, at the Gryphon!

When he recently had to profile a Footlight programme, Marley decided that the best way to do it was to run something on Google Translate multiple times to expand the milestone anniversary event in history. Yes, he decided to do it again for Guys & Dolls, his third show with Footlights since he joined the theatre a few years ago. Despite showing the excitement he brings with posing in the film, Marley still loves to stand and play on stage and has had a lot of fun throughout his life.

Marley is so excited to be a part of the show because he does not have to play high notes or find songs - this is the first time before - and he is looking forward to playing everything outside the show, low sound. His playing style is low enough, he hopes, will inspire viewers to believe that trying the American accent looks American.

*This was run through google translate for fun.

India has loved being on stage from a very young age, ever since she performed in her first ballet recital. She has become proficient in many different styles of dance throughout the years, but became addicted to the magic of musical theatre in high school. India joined the Wellington Footlights Society in 2017 to choreograph Spamalot and something must've stuck because she's been with us ever since.

Guys and Dolls will be India's 7th show with the Wellington Footlights Society, where she is thrilled to take on the role of Lt. Brannigan - a no nonsense police officer with a strong sense of justice. India is incredibly grateful to be able to perform live, and hopes audiences enjoy seeing this hilarious show, as much as she's enjoyed being a part of making it.

Guys & Dolls will be Renée’s fifth show with Footlights. She is also a member of the choir Supertonic, and enjoys singing and playing Jazz standards on the piano in her spare time. Renée joined Footlights back in 2017 after a long period of studying anthropology and radio, and “finding herself”.

While doing this she discovered she LOVES axolotls, earl grey tea, and RuPaul’s Drag Race #missvanjie and does NOT like peas, studying, and “finding herself”.

After a tumultuous year with lockdown and a lack of performing, Renée can confirm she has now “found herself”. She likes short walks on the beach and Piña Coladas, but getting caught in the rain is a damn nightmare. Enjoy the show! Let’s shoot crap!!

"Mike Bryant first stared acting in 1995. He played thief #5 in a (almost-definitely illegal) parody of the Addams Family. He joined Footlights in 2015 and has been impossible to get rid of ever since.

He has been lucky enough to play such roles as Callahan in Legally Blonde, Pickering in My Fair Lady, Walter in Chess, and Larry in Company.

This is his first show smoke free, and his first show with his new teeth.

Mike has missed performing so much, and he's excited to finally be back at home on the stage. Mike has lamented the absence of Stacey O'Brien in this show, but hopes she has used the time to practice at Crash Bandicoot. (She needs it if she wants to be as good as Mike.)"

This is Helena’s Fifth show with footlights and she still feels gross talking about herself in the third person.

Corporate sell out by day, performer and permanently exhausted pigeon by night - she has performed in many shows, all crammed into the last 7 years, which has given her both wonderful experiences, new friends and permanent shin splints.

Being in Footlights is one of her best life experiences so far and she adores all of the members and hijinx that goes along when you have a bunch of theatre nerds crammed in a small space. When she’s not being the comic relief in everyone’s lives, you can find her (but please don't) being a hermit in her house with her 3 rabbits, 2 cats and a good book.

She’s super excited to be a part of Guys and Dolls and even more excited to fulfill her dream of playing a hungry little man.

This is Catherine's 13th show with Footlights, having been a member since its inception in 2014. She has performed in a variety of roles including Marcy Park in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Anne in If/Then, and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

She has also performed with Stagecraft in Wonderland (2017) and Red Scare Theatre Company in Right Dishonourable (2013) and the 2020 audio drama, Apocalypse Songs As Clara Wilson. In 2020 Catherine played Maria Von Trapp in Porirua Little Theatre's The Sound of Music. By day she works as a lawyer and greatly enjoys forcing her passion for musicals onto her colleagues.

This is Aoife's first show with Footlights and she can't wait to be back on stage after a long hiatus. Fun fact, Guys & Dolls was the last show she performed in over ten years ago so getting to don a fedora and shoot crap again all these years later really is a treat.

She apologises in advance to all Irish audience members for the near blasphemous Irish accent she's about to demonstrate and totally understands if her passport is revoked.

Aoife has loved working alongside this very talented bunch of performers and and hopes you all enjoy the show.

Vishan is a math teacher who likes to extend his audience beyond some 20-30 teenagers. He has been a part of Footlights since 2017, taking part in every show he has been able to since then. He is also a member of the Wellington famous choir Supertonic.

Arvide Abernathy is a new kind of role for Vishan, playing an older and religious gentleman. He had only heard of Guys & Dolls before now and has enjoyed getting to know this classic. Footlights is really putting its character into this show and he is sure it will be another hit.

Margaret has been performing with different theatre groups arpund Wellington for many years. She's been a part of Footlights since 2014, and has been involved with all but one of their productions since Pippin, on and off stage. Margaret is absolutely delighted to be back on stage singing and dancing with her favourite fellow stage crazies (and to be working with the lovely Melanie Heaphy again while doing so).

She's also loving the chance to re-explore Guys and Dolls, having previously performed in PLT's 2004 production. It's been an absolute blast being one of the guys this time round.

Letitia has been on stage for as long as she can remember and became a member of the Wellington Footlights in 2017.

This is Letitia’s 5th show with the Footlights and she is looking forward to expanding her acting repertoire by playing Agatha - a member of a brass band. Outside of musical theatre Letitia plays flugel horn in Brass Bands, enjoys reading crime novels, and loves spending time with her hubby, Nick, and cat, Lily.

Stanford has been involved in theatre since he was young, making his debut with a stunning rendition of the Tin Lion from Badjelly the Witch at the age of eight (roar roar, squeak squeak).

Stanford studied English and Theatre at Victoria University of Wellington, followed by studying to become a high school teacher of those two subjects. He then lived in Japan, teaching English for two years, only to return to New Zealand and decide to work for the government instead.

Stanford has appeared in shows with Hutt Repertory Theatre (The Rivals) and Stagecraft (One Man, Two Guvnors and Ophelia Thinks Harder), and recently co-directed a sold-out season of Captain Corelli's Mandolin with Wellington Repertory Theatre. Guys and Dolls is his first on-stage appearance with Footlights after being a member for over a year, and he is excited to finally get to work with this very talented bunch.

Stanford loves Japanese curry, cats, Karaoke and Ultimate Frisbee.

Luke is an accomplished actor and improviser who while in Nelson regularly performed in the monthly improv show The Deep End.

After making it to the 2013 UOSWSF and being picked for NSSP that year, Luke travelled to London as part of the NZ Young Shakespeare Company (2014) where he played Julius Caesar at the Globe.

In 2016 Luke then traveled to Wellington where he began his three year stage and screen arts degree with Whitireia finishing in 2018 and now after a two year acting hiatus Luke has now joined Footlights and is excited to see where he can go.