This is me & Tango Road

• What? two short plays
• Where? @ BATS Theatre
• When? 26-30 September 2000
6pm
• How much? Tickets: $12/$15
• Who? Written by Ruby Brunton
Directed by Paula van Beek
• Why? Part of the Shebang festival 2000

Fifteen year old Ruby Brunton is the youngest, hottest playwrighting talent in town. Two of her award wining short plays are premiering in the Shebang festival of women playwrights.

Ruby Brunton won the New Zealand Young Playwrights Award two years running with ‘This is me’ and ‘Tango Road’.

“She is a fifteen year old Wellington High School student, the youngest playwright featured in the Shebang festival and certainly a talent to watch out for in the future” says director Paula van Beek. “Ruby definitely has theatre in her blood as she is the daughter of renowned Wellington theatre practitioners Alan Brunton and Sally Rodwell, both founding members of the Red Mole theatre group.”

THE PLAYS:
'This is Me' is the story of a young girl, 'grape', named after a bowl of raisins at the local pub. Ruby Brunton performs this monologue about the experiences of growing up in seven different families with four Mums, 23 Nuns, 138 brothers and sisters and no friends.
Director Paula van Beek says: “It is a story of growing up and finding where you fit in. Ruby really brings to life the poignancy and comedy of the young girl ‘grape’.”

'Tango Road' is a fast paced trip from New York to small town Eltham, New Zealand, to Australia, Texas and New York again. “With three actors playing thirteen characters, complete with tacky accents and Tango dancing, this is a journey of discovery for Mary Anne Potter whose mother just wants her to be a lawyer” says director Paula van Beek.

Live music is provided for both shows by Daphne Owers, the lead singer and songwriter of Wellington band The Shirleys.

THE DIRECTOR:
Paula van Beek is a graduate of Victoria University's Theatre and Film Department. She is a founding member of Open Book Productions who won a best theatre award for Invisible Ink in this year’s Fringe Festival. She is directing both ‘This is me’ and ‘Tango Road’’.

Paula’s sister Jackie van Beek has written Never Never which is premiering in the Shebang Festival

THE TALENT:
Miranda Manasiadis - Assistant Director
Last seen on stage in Jealous’ Fever, Miranda is currently rehearsing for the Shebang show Never Never. Miranda and Paula have worked on eight shows together over the last five years.
Amanda Hereaka - Actor
Recently seen on the silver screen in Hopeless and on the TV as the Fringe Reporter on Backch@t . A founding member of Open Book Productions, Amanda is returning to the stage to follow up on the successes of No Pogs No Patches and Invisible Ink.
Joe Ballard - Actor
Also a member of Open Book, Joe was last seen showing off his singing and dancing skills as the ‘All American Golf Pro’ in No Pogs No Patches at BATS as part of the TV2 Laugh! Festival. In the Fringe Festival this year Joe played the role of the photographer in the award winning production of Invisible Ink.
Kathryn Tyree - Actor
As a seventh form student Kathryn directed the Wellington High School production of The Winters Tale in May this year. She also performed on stage in the VUW Summer Shakespeare production of Love’s Labour’s Lost.
Ash - Lighting Designer
After working as an architectural and theatrical lighting designer in Israel for 15 years Ash most recently was the designer for the Wellington City Council project City of Light. As well as lighting This is me and Tango Road Ash is working at Circa on The Missionary Position.

THE FESTIVAL:
The Shebang festival is a season of new plays by New Zealand women playwrights. It is featuring seven new works by established and emerging writers. Running for two months it is taking over the Wellington theatre scene with productions at Circa, Downstage and BATS theatres. The featured playwrights are Lorae Parry, Jo Randerson, Renee, Jean Betts, Briar Grace-Smith, Jackie van Beek and of course Ruby Brunton.

CONTACT DETAILS:
For more information, interviews and photos please do not hesitate to contact:

Paula van Beek
Director
(04) 801 9708

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