Cast

Alistair is delighted to be making his Footlights debut in Soho Cinders - the gayest musical he’s performed in since his last musical. Alistair’s felt really welcomed into the company, performing as part of the ensemble, and also unexpectedly built a door for the show. Please appreciate it in all its hot, hot pink glory.

Alistair recently performed as Nick in Shortland Street: The Musical with Kauri Theatre. When living in Christchurch, Ali performed in Wicked and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert with Showbiz, and Jesus Christ Superstar and Grease with MUSOC.

Outside of performing, Ali has a PhD in Disaster Risk and Resilience and works for EQC, aiming to increase our resilience to natural hazards.

Abi returns to the stage in her most prominent role since she stole the show as the murderous Chutney Windham in Legally Blonde, thankful sans hideous perm or blue fishnet tights. Having been involved either on stage or behind the scenes with just about every show since Footlights began in 2014, she feels qualified to say that Soho Cinders has the most earwormy bops of all time. If you don’t leave the theatre humming “you shall go to the ball”, well you may need your hearing checked.

Abi has a chronic need to overcommit, and views production roles much like Pokemon - gotta catch ‘em all. This time around she’s trying her hand at set design, and considers convincing the director to let her paint the doors bright pink, her biggest achievement to date. She has also discovered that her measly height of 1.58m presents many challenges in working with tall set pieces. Future sets will all be designed with Hobbits in mind.

Aimée is an English performer based in Te Whanganui a Tara, where she has lived for three years. She has been involved in shows in Wellington since then including Aisling in Four Nights in the Green Barrow Pub (Red Scare Theatre Company), Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Summer Shakespeare), Ophelia in Ophelia Thinks Harder (Stagecraft), Ada in That Bloody Woman (Stagecraft), and Shirley in Little Town Liars (Distracted by the Sideshow). She has been dossing around backstage with Wellington Footlights backstage since she moved to New Zealand, but this is the first time she has treaded the boards with them. She is so thrilled to be narrating this story, and loves Team Soho more than anything.

Aoife takes to the stage tonight in the role of Velcro. This is her second outing with Footlights, having made her debut with the society in Guys & Dolls in 2021. She remains incredibly grateful to the Footlights family for welcoming her into the fold and for reigniting her love of all things singing and dancing over the last few years. She would like to give a special shout out to Nadia and Emily, in the Costume Department, for putting her in Converse for the entire show - her rickety old knees thank them both profusely!

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

This is Chris’ fourth show with Footlights since joining in 2018 (Chess, If/Then and My Fair Lady). Chris is returning to Footlights after an almost 3 year hiatus. Outside of footlights he has performed with Wellington Repertory (First Date, Ladies in Black), Witch (Underscore) and Kauri Theatre (Shortland Street).

Working with the footlights family again has been an absolute delight. Chris would like to thank all the Soho Cinders cast and crew for working so hard to bring this show to the stage, despite COVID’s best efforts to stop it.

He hopes you enjoy the show and thanks you for supporting Footlights!

From starring in USS Pinafore, the Star Trek twist to the Gilbert and Sullivan show, Corey has been treading the boards since his university years. Performing in West Side Story, 42nd Street, Grease, and more he was infected with the old variant of the theatre bug.

Ditching a career in Biochemistry Corey went on to train as an aerialist at CPIT. From there he performed at the Edinburgh Festival, toured the Netherlands and ended up auditioning as a singer dancer for Cruise Ships. 14 years later that’s where you would find him, a Cruise Director with Princess Cruises.

When COVID hit cruise ships figuratively ran aground. After being land based for the last two years Corey decided to get back to his major love, delighted to have Soho Cinders as his coming out show.

After a two-year hiatus from performing Ellie (Mrs Higgins, My Fair Lady; Florence, Chess; Rona, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Lucy, Flatline with Two Sugars; The Lady of the Lake, Spamalot; Martha Dunnstock, Heathers; Serena, Legally Blonde; Mark’s Mom, Rent; Fastrada, Pippin) is back, arguably in her greatest role yet: Clodagh, the older (by 30 seconds) and uglier step sister. Apologies in advance.

Although Ellie has been a member of Footlights since the group’s foundation in early 2014, she will not formally acknowledge that eight years have passed. No further questions at this time.

India is bringing the role of Dana to New Zealand with all the energy of a prossi when the rent’s due.

She has performed with The Wellington Footlights Society in 8 shows, including various starring roles in Silver Linings, Cara in Flatline with Two Sugars, Susan in Company, and most recently; Lt. Brannigan in Guys and Dolls.

Her other work in theatre includes choreography for Wellington Footlights' productions of Spamalot and My Fair Lady, Eternity Opera's Marriage of Figaro and performances in Eternity Opera's Don Giovanni and Wellington Summer Shakespeare's Love Labor's Lost, and more recently choreography for the Fancy Footlighters in the Wellington Waterfront Summer Sampler.

India trained at Whitireia Performing Arts Centre in Wellington, where she received a Diploma in Performing Arts. She hails from Whakaoriori and currently spends her daylight hours supporting the wider New Zealand arts and culture sector.

India is very excited to introduce Dana (an ugly-at-heart stepsister with the fashion sense of a 90's tween just discovering glitter) to New Zealand. She hopes Dana's harsh words and rough mannerisms don't offend too many audience members. Dana, however, "couldn't give a toss"; and you can quote her on that.

Having joined Footlights in 2021, Jonathan is one of the company’s newest recruits. Nevertheless, he’s looking forward to strutting his stuff on stage, preferably without destroying half the set in the process. He is also incredibly excited to sing in front of an appreciative audience rather than his long-suffering flatmates and the odd bemused pedestrian.

Letitia is super excited to be a part of Soho Cinders

and appreciates how incredible it is that we can all get together and enjoy theatre at all in this crazy time!

A member of the Wellington Footlights since 2017, Letitia has performed in a number of their productions, including Company, My Fair Lady, Silver Linings, The Rising Sun, and Guys and Dolls.

Outside of rehearsing for shows Letitia enjoys reading crime novels, cake decorating, and forcing her passion for musicals onto her family, friends and colleagues.

Matt has been involved with theatre in Wellington since 2007, making regular appearances as various weirdos for Wellington Repertory Theatre, Khandallah Arts Theatre and Stagecraft. Behind the scenes, he has been stage manager, lighting operator, sound designer, set builder, production manager, and director (not, thankfully, all at the same time!) This is his first appearance for Wellington Footlights, having persuaded them that his singing voice is actually ok! The dancing needs work, though...

Local Latin-American actor, Max, is one of the newest recruits for Wellington Footlights. He is a fan of films, singing, and over the first lockdown, was given a crash course in Broadway musicals. He feels very welcomed by the cast and crew, and excited to be a part of the ensemble.

He was recently in the play Popcorn (Wellington Repertory Theatre), and was a part of the ensemble in Carrie: The Musical for WITCH in 2017. He’s just excited to do a job that lets him be goofy for a few hours of the day.

A founding member of Footlights, Michael is very excited to be 'just' onstage this time after a lengthy stint in a variety of production roles, including directing My Fair Lady, stage managing Company, co-MDing the revue Silver Linings and directing Guys and Dolls. Prior to those shows, highlights with the society have included Roger in A New Brain, Lucas in If/Then and Collins in RENT.

When not with Footlights, Michael sings with Quadraphonic, a vocal quartet and very much enjoyed performing in Prélude, the group's first outing in the Fringe Festival at the beginning of 2021. He's also involved with Red Scare Theatre Company, and is overjoyed to be reunited in the rehearsal room with Aimée Sullivan and Karen Anslow, from Four Nights In The Green Barrow Pub.

Outside of the theatre, Michael is a keen D&D gamer, cyclist (both motorised and pedal-powered), and a teacher in four different schools.

Mike has been with Wellington Footlights for a long time and he loves everyone on this stage.

Getting a chance to be directed by Karen Anslow and share a stage with Stacey "Terrible-At-Crash-Bandicoot" O'Brien is one of his favourite places to be.

Some of Mike's favourite roles have been Larry in Company, Name Withheld on Advice of Counsel in Yellow Face, Walter in Chess, and Richard in A New Brain, as well as Pat in the upcoming short film Life's a Drag.

Mike is thrilled (and exhausted) to be involved. He would like to remind everyone that he is better at Crash Bandicoot than Stacey.

Nadia can’t keep her hands off Footlights shows. For Soho, she has done costumes AND is gracing you with her presence on stage. You’re welcome.

Even though it has been fab for Nadia to flirt with all the boys on stage as usual, this is the first show where Nadia’s been competing for attention with her real-world boyfriend Chris, who plays Robbie in the show. Nadia’s not jealous AT ALL, and definitely isn’t trying to upstage or get in the way of Michael playing James Prince (*cough* Gypsies of the Ether *cough*).

She hopes you enjoy the show, and she knows you will enjoy her.

Siobhan is making her return to the stage as Sidesaddle after slipping into the production side while finishing her masters in international trade.

Having been with Footlights since 2017 for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Siobhan is glad to once again use her Theatre Kid Energy! This is her largest role since Genie in Aladdin, and the most bike riding she has done since [redacted].

Involved from performing arts from a young age (to give her parents a well earned break from their motormouth daughter), Siobhan is thrilled to add Sidesaddle to her diverse portfolio of work. The sassy, self assured Sidesaddle has a heap of positive energy about her that Siobhan hopes puts a smile on your face and gets many songs stuck in your head.

Come on guys, enough hesitating!

Stacey asked Mike to write her bio.

Urban dictionary describes Stacey as : "The most amazing girl there is. She is beautiful, liked by everyone and is very outgoing. She is a great friend and people would be lucky to have her in their life. Stacey's are genuine, joyful and assertive. Be careful though Stacey's often surround themselves with people associated with the mob. Keep one eye open."

There were other definitions, but Mike doesn't recommend looking them up.

Stacey is really enjoying performing with Mike. She is terrible at Crash Bandicoot and Mario Party.

She asked Mike to change this last sentence. He refused.

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

Since coming back to New Zealand in 2018, after two years of teaching English in Japan, Stanford has appeared in shows with Hutt Repertory Theatre (The Rivals), Stagecraft (One Man Two Guvnors and Ophelia Thinks Harder), and this will be his second appearance in a Footlights show after Guys and Dolls last year. He also co-directed Captain Corelli's Mandolin for Wellington Repertory Theatre, and is excited to be directing The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer for Stagecraft in mid-2022.

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