Crew

Originally from the UK, Michael is proud to call Wellington home and contribute to its vibrant arts scene as a music director, composer and performer. Michael is absolutely thrilled to make his directing debut with The Wellington Footlights Society's production of My Fair Lady.

Michael has been involved with Wellington Footlights since co-founding the Society in 2014. He has often worked as music director, on shows including Chess, Spamalot and Legally Blonde the Musical and was chair of the society until 2018.

Feels very privileged to be able to partake in shows put on by a variety of theatre companies in the Wellington Region. Playing and being a small part of the ‘whole’ gives her joy. That’s why she does it.

Col. Pickering's bio for her below - also gave her much joy!

Sue, or to use her full title, Susan Windsor HR, is a distant descendant of the royal family and is 333rd in line for the throne. Sue was brought up in England by a succession of nannies and governesses who taught her the appropriate manners when one is taking tea in the parlour. Sue has passed on this knowledge to the cast of My Fair Lady, ensuring that our table manners are on form. She spends her time between a charming villa in England and a brick country manor in Wellington. Susan requests that upon meeting her, you must bow and resist making direct eye contact.

Abi is ancient by Footlights standards, and possibly has some control issues, having been involved in every Footlights production either onstage or backstage since the inaugural Taking the Minnie (2014).

Abi has no life outside of Footlights, but dreams of one day becoming mother to a minimum of 5 cats.

Sam loves to make things happen behind the scenes. She doesn’t want to be seen, ever, so stage managing is the perfect job. She loves her Footlights family.

Emma has been working with costumes since age 15. Having worked mainly on a bespoke basis, this is her first show designing and constructing many of the costumes.

This is also Emma’s first show with Footlights, and she hopes to continue working closely with them.

Nadia knew from the moment she graduated Denim Uni that fashion was the career for her! Since moving to the big smoke she has resigned herself to an office job by day, but oh boy you better believe she’ll be behind a whirring sewing machine by night!

Being part of The Wellington Footlight’s society has given her a good challenge of creative costume design to sink her teeth into.

You can spot Nadia in a crowd; she’ll be the one with a wine glass in hand and causing those around her to double over with laughter. She’s the life of the party! You can’t blame her, she’s only Newman.

Patrick is once again wearing multiple hats for this Footlights production, acting as both Sound Designer and band member, playing the dulcet tones of Violin B.

His Wellington Footlights highlights include If/Then (production management, sound design and band member), Chess (sound engineering and mixing), the Heart+Music festival (stage management), Heathers: The Musical (sound design and lighting co-design), and Spamalot (band member).

His other recent theatre design work includes Movers (Red Scare, 2018) and Yellow Face (Red Scare, 2017), Wonderland (Stagecraft, 2017), One Night Only (Young and Hungry, 2017), and Carrie: The Musical (WITCH, 2017). Patrick also engineered the original cast recording for Red Scare's satirical original musical, M'Lady: A Meninist Musical in 2017.

This will be Patrick’s final production with the Society, as he is moving to the UK to study a postgraduate diploma in Theatre Production Arts (Sound) at Mountview Academy in London.

Laura is new to the Footlights whānau, having recently moved back home from living in Canada. She was the lighting designer for Footlights' last production, If/Then, but after contributing to the props for the show (namely two beautiful birthday cakes!) she decided to go all in with props for My Fair Lady.

When not fiddling with knobs and dials on a lighting board, Laura will be out on some adventure, paddling on the water, discovering things in her new home of Wellington, or trying out all the cafes she possibly can.

Shereen has been a dancer her whole life, and is particularly fanatical about ballet. She spends her spare time watching dance videos, and attending classes. Shereen took ballet from age 6, and has continued to train in ballet, contemporary, jazz and hip-hop, including for some years in London and more recently in Wellington. She loves the Royal Ballet in London, and the choreographer Wayne McGregor. Her inspiration for theatre has been Justin Peck’s Carousel and she is excited to be working with the Wellington Footlights Society for the first time. Shereen worked for All Star Cheerleaders in Auckland for 7 years from 2004 to 2011 teaching children in cheerleading, dance and gymnastics. During this time, Shereen choreographed a number of competitive cheer and dance routines for teams, individuals and pairs. Dance styles included jazz, pom and hip-hop. She ran the All Star Cheerleaders’ North Shore programme from 2007 to 2011. She competed at the Cheerleading World Championships in 2005 and 2007. She also coached Team New Zealand for 4 years from 2008 to 2011, which included World Championship bronze medal placements in 2009 and 2011. Since 2017 she has been judging in Auckland for national competitions run by Cheer Brandz as a cheer and dance judge, and judged both cheer and dance at the Global Games in Hawaii in 2019. Her judging experience includes pom, jazz and contemporary.