Cast

Cassandra spends most of her time backstage as a playwright, director and producer; she is the co-founder and artistic director of Red Scare Theatre Company. Most of her recent onstage appearances have been as a member of Wellington Footlights, including Ana in Flatline with Two Sugars (2017), Mimi in Rent (2015) and Leading Player in Pippin (2014); other notable roles include Ilse in Spring Awakening (WITCH, 2018).

Outside of her work in the theatre, Cassandra writes for children’s television and takes up a new hobby every six months or so (e.g. watercolour calligraphy, embroidery, murder mystery party game development).

An expat from the UK, Michael is mere months away from becoming a fully fledged Kiwi, and he can't wait. Although he's yet to kick the tea addiction, the last seven years have convinced him that New Zealand is the place to be, and he's stoked to be living in this vibrant and inclusive city.

Since setting up Footlights five and a half years ago, he's been an active part of the Wellington theatre scene as a Music Director, Composer and Performer. Highlights have included Rent (Footlights 2015, Collins), Legally Blonde (Footlights 2016, MD), Ordinary Days (Backyard 2016, MD and Warren), M'Lady (Red Scare 2017, Composer and MD), A New Brain (Footlights 2017, Roger) and Chess (Footlights 2018, MD). As a practitioner he's always looking for ways to challenge the notion that musical theatre is little more than jazz hands and chorus lines, and is excited by the narrative and dramatic challenge of If/Then, as well as the opportunity to perform again with long time collaborator, Cassandra Tse.

When not in rehearsal he can usually be found in the classroom, teaching singing and music, or braving the elements on his motorbike.

Caitlin has been singing and dancing from a very young age, studying Tap, Jazz and Hip-Hop for 8 years at Prestige Dance Studio prior to her move to Wellington in 2016. In addition to her time as a student at Te Auaha, Caitlin has studied theatre at Victoria University, and performed in shows locally; notably the New Zealand premiere of A New Brain (Footlights, 2017), Spring Awakening (WITCH, 2018) and Te Auaha’s recent production of The Addams Family.

She feels very lucky to be pursuing her passion, and hopes to further refine her skills as she works towards a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Musical Theatre.

Ed has been in Footlights since 2015, the last good year before dabbing and Harambe memes took over humanity.

These days he mostly spends his time teaching and burning down vape shops, replacing them with shrines to Brendon Urie and other mid 2000’s icons.

In between these activities Ed has performed in several Footlights shows including Heathers (2016), Legally Blonde (2016) and Chess (2018). Last year he directed the revue, The Rising Sun as part of the Heart and Music (2017) festival.

Ed says performing in Footlights allows him to escape the horrors of the modern world. It’s like he tells his secondary students, if at times it seems like all hope is lost, look at Kanye West. It definitely is.

If/Then is Chris’s second show with Footlights since joining the cast for Chess earlier this year. Chris moved to Wellington 1 year ago from Dunedin where he had previously performed in such shows as Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, and Grease: the Arena Spectacular.

By day Chris works a software developer for Trade me. He is absolutely stoked to be part of such a talented cast and cannot wait to bring this musical to the stage.

Public Servant by day, unicorn by night, Catherine dreams of making it big in the cereal industry. Some of her notable life achievements include second place at the 2016 Toilet Golf World Championships and 'the time Ben Lummis liked my post on Instagram'. In her spare time she enjoys knitting for cats, avocado wrestling and is an aspiring hand model.

Eugene originally moved to Wellington 5 years ago to study Jazz Vocals at the New Zealand School of Music and still gigs with a couple of Jazz Bands here, The Big Troubles and The Jive Monsters. However a year and a half ago Eugene joined Footlights and has found a passion for musical theatre and has performed in three Footlights productions (most recently Chess (2018) as The Arbiter).

As well as performing, Eugene is also a music teacher, teaching Singing and Piano.

Fun Fact: Up until late 2017 Eugene was part of a Circus Collective specialising in Juggling and Stilt Walking!

If/Then will be Renée’s third show with The Wellington Footlights Society. She’s always had a love for musical theatre but spent her time in Wellington mainly studying and “finding herself”.

She’s studied culture, crime, language and radio journalism and although she does not work in any of these fields (sorry mum), her passion for musicals has been a huge highlight.

Her current goal is to be the voice of Big Brother UK, “Who goes? You Decide!”

Alex returned to the stage in 2015 in the LGBT documentary play Scene at BATS Theatre, his first show in five years. Following that, he channelled rock music legends in Backyard Theatre's Jukebox Heroes and then the psychotic Hot Blades Harry in Stagecraft’s Urinetown.

Alex joined Footlights in 2017, joining in for the madness of Monty Python’s Spamalot and the HEART+MUSIC festival where he played Mr. Bungee in A New Brain. That year he also donned a unitard as the King of Hearts in Stagecraft’s Wonderland, and also starred in Red Scare Theatre’s Yellow Face, his first lead role actually playing an Asian character.

He was most recently seen as Hanschen in the WITCH production of Spring Awakening. You can also see his photography and design work in the posters for If/Then and the recent Footlights production of Chess.

Vishan began musical theatre in high school in 2008. Performing in, Crazy For You, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and My Fair Lady.

After moving to Wellington for uni in 2012 he begun an unintentional hiatus, continuing choir however. He is currently in Supertonic and the New Zealand Youth Choir.

It is through choir though that he found Footlights and rediscovered his passion for the stage. Taking part in every show he could since, he has been in Spamalot (2017), Flatline with Two Sugars (2017), 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (2017), and Chess (2018).

Vishan feels honored to be a part of his fifth and certainly not final Footlights production If/Then. It is another example of what happens when a bunch of talented, passionate people come together; a quality show that is bound to move you, whether to laughter or tears. Vishan is so proud of all his fellow Foolighters involved, and can't wait to share with you their work.

Helena moved to Wellington nearly 3 years ago from Nelson and this is her first time performing on a Wellington stage. She auditioned for Footlights on a whim with 24 hours notice but is very glad she did as it has got her back into theatre. Her theatre background includes Jesus Christ Superstar, Blood Brothers, I love you you’re perfect now change, oh what a lovely war, Addams Family, Spamalot and Grease. Needless to say, every time she hears “Summer nights” she dies inside.

Helena works as a Banking Advisor in her everyday life and in her spare time she likes to binge bad tv shows, sleep, think about dogs and yell at bad drivers.

India began her career in musical theatre in 2012 with Wellington College's Chess, and never looked back. Since then she has performed in over 10 musicals, 5 plays and 3 operas. India loves to support musical theatre both in front and behind stage, as a performer, choreographer and occasionally a stage manager or SM Assistant. She is excited to join Footlights in another wonderful season with If/Then.

Daniel Dew is a Wellington based singer and member of Vocal FX, an internationally recognised barbershop chorus. Perhaps only recognised by other barbershoppers, but there are dozens of us, dozens! This is his first foray back into musical theatre for several years, but he has been involved in performances of Les Miserables, Chess, The Wiz, The Full Monty and High School Musical in the past, arranged in descending order of respectability. He has trained for 2 years in Classical Voice at NZ School of Music (although it should be noted that it takes 3 years to get that particular piece of paper) and holds an Advanced Certificate in fine wines from WSET, so you know the after party will be lit.

Kirsty is so happy to be back performing on stage with such a talented group of people both on and off the stage and also being given the opportunity to Produce If/Then.

Kirsty has always been a fan of singing, playing and performing on stage. But it wasn’t until performing in Queenstown’s Rocky Horror Show did Kirsty really get bitten by the musical theatre bug, the escapism and chance to push yourself in new roles really drove her to perform as much as she can since then.

Since moving up to Wellington Kirsty has been involved in a range of shows - Grease, Mamma Mia, Bloodlines, Witches of Eastwick and Legally Blonde and running mics back stage for Chess, to name a few.

Kirsty can’t wait to be involved further in Footlights exciting 2019 season, If/Then is only the beginning!

When Miss Stacey O’Brien of Johnsonville announced that she would shortly be celebrating her eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Wellington.

Stacey was very rich and very peculiar, and had been the wonder of Wellington for sixty years, ever since her remarkable disappearance and unexpected return. The riches she had brought back from her travels had now become a local legend, and it was popularly believed, whatever the old folk might say, that her Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure. And if that was not enough for fame, there was also her prolonged vigour to marvel at. Time wore on, but it seemed to have little effect on Miss O’Brien. At ninety she was much the same as at fifty. At ninety-nine they began to call her well-preserved, but unchanged would have been nearer the mark. There were some that shook their heads and thought this was too much of a good thing; it seemed unfair that anyone should possess (apparently) perpetual youth as well as (reputedly) inexhaustible wealth.

David was born under the light of the new moon, in a treeless forest, in fulfilment of ancient prophecy. Raised by wolves in the barren Waikato wastes, he never really thought theatre was his thing, much preferring to hunt wild rabbits and howl at the moon. However, on his twenty first birthday a wise ruru told him the truth of his destiny: he must become an actor in a musical theatre company. Not yet knowing what this meant, David journeyed south, tearfully farewelling his people.

After a year of travelling he found the prosperous city of Wellington. David learnt the ways of the strange hairless folk who lived there, casting aside his primitive loincloth for a denim jacket and a stylish scarf. Finally, David encountered the Wellington Footlights. Knowing that the hour of his destiny was at hand, he auditioned, and is now a happy member. He found it quite difficult to learn the lyrics for If/Then, none of them being written in the language of the wolves, but otherwise has quite enjoyed the process.