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Northland Youth Theatre
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NYT in 2024


A Bridge to Somewhere - Jan/Feb
Performed at the Canopy Bridge, Whangarei

Northland Youth Theatre's 2024 Summer Show!

Directed and Devised by: Hayley Douglas and Zara Skuse
Costumed by: Kenza Bell-Booth
Lighting Designer and Operator: Frankie Johns
Photographer: Hugo Robert
Produced by: Northland Youth Theatre


This production was devised based on the book The Land of Green Ginger. It was a story of adventure and journeys, of safety and danger, of love and of magic, carpets and castles, dreams coming true, a story of friends and of foes, of questions and answers, of green dragons and phoenix's, of heroes and villains, and of prophecies and families.

Thank you to Whangarei District Council and the Creative Communities scheme Whangarei.

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Titus Andronicus, SGCNZ Shakespeare Festival regionals - April 
Performed at WBHS Auditorium

 For the first time ever, Northland Youth Theatre entered the SGCNZ Shakespeare festival competition! 

Directed by: Rose McKenzie
Lighting: Frankie Johns
Costumed by: Rose McKenzie 
Produced by: Northland Youth Theatre

This year, Rose McKenzie and a group of 6 talented young actors decided to get together and make a 15-minute entry into the annual Shakespeare competition! They chose Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare's most brutal play and first tragedy. 

Performed by:
Haydon Gwilliam-Fraser - Titus Andronicus
Ciara Elliot - Tamora
Ursula Macready - Demetrius 
Sorcha Tracey - Chiron
Ashleen Soper - Lavinia
Finn McKenzie - Marcus, Saturninus, Bassianus 


Variety NYTe, Fundraising Event - May 
ONEONESIX, Bank Street 

Northland Youth Theatre's second annual fundraiser NYTe!

This was a night full of varying talents and performances! From circus to comedy skits to singing to drag, this years Variety NYTe had it all!

Performers:
Blind Eyes, Honey and Wildfire, Alan Palmer, Evelyn Nutbean, Titus Andronicus cast, Diane Thomas, Tyler Matheson, Lexi Leybourn, Joshua Maihi-Hansen, Mike Easterbrook, Crum, Hān Ariki and 7 NYT students as roving characters. 
Lighting/Sound:
Frankie Johns
Photographer:
Craig Neilson

Thank you to all of our generous helpers and thank you to ONEONESIX for their hospitality!

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Titus Andronicus, SGCNZ Shakespeare Festival nationals - June
Performed at St James Theatre, Wellington

After winning the 15 minute section of the regional competition in Whangarei, NYT got sent to Wellington for the national competition!

For this trip we did a lot of fundraising, and therefore we must thank everyone who supported us.
Thank you to the James Rice Trust, managed by Whangarei Theatre Company
Thank you to Universal Cranes
Thank you to the businesses who donated products for our raffle; Treat, Sano Lifestyle, and Fleur.
And of course, thank you to everyone who supported us in whatever ways they could- whether you came to our fundraiser shows, donated to our givealittle, or just supported our journey. 
Without this support, we could not have competed in Wellington.

NYT had an absolutely fantastic time in Wellington. Not only did we perform in the St James Theatre and compete, we got to participate in the SGCNZ workshops, be included in the festival, and enjoy the culture of Wellington.
We are incredibly proud of our performance and our representation of Northland Youth Theatre and Tai Tokerau in Wellington. We came away from the weekend with a total of three awards, those being; the Most Innovative Interpretation award, the Outstanding Presentation of a Tragedy award, and Haydon, who played Titus, won the Outstanding Individual Tragedy Role award. 

Directed by: Rose McKenzie
Performed by: Haydon Gwilliam-Fraser, Ciara Elliot, Ursula Macready, Finn McKenzie, Maddison Amosa, and Sorcha Tracey

Open Mic NYTe - A monthly event starting in June
20 John Street (NYT)

Northland Youth Theatre hosted their first Open Mic NYTe!

Due to how much fun it was, we decided to start hosting them every 3rd Saturday of the month. This event is a small ongoing fundraiser for NYT as well as an opportunity for those of all ages to have a moment on the stage!

From Havoc. - August
ONEONESIX, Bank Street ​

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Northland Youth Theatre's annual Winter Show for 2024!

Directors: Julie Edwards and Lutz Hamm
Sound Designer and Operator: Matt de Boer
Set and prop designer: Josh Kiwikiwi

Costumer: Kenza Bell-Booth
Lighting Designer and Operator: Frankie Johns
Stage Manager: Rose McKenzie
Photographer: Kayla Ganley
Produced by: Northland Youth Theatre

From Havoc. was a collection of scenes from classic plays intertwined through devised movement work. It was about youth facing crisis through the years, speaking to the similarities and differences between youth then and now. With a cast of 20 talented young actors aged from 13-22, the piece was full of energy and passion. 


Northland Youth Theatres participation in the 2024 Whangarei Fringe!

Nocturnal Oddities, ONEONESIX

Devised and performed by Lexi Laybourn ​and Rose McKenzie
Sound by Lewis de Jong and Ngahina Dunn
Supported by ONEONESIX and Northland Youth Theatre
​
Nocturnal Oddities was an original devised piece designed for a young audience. It was mesmerizing, sweet, and gentle. The sound, movement and lighting were intertwined wonderfully to create an enchanting piece about dreaming and imagination. It mixed pieces of circus and theatre and stepped away from tradition to create something that was distinctly its own. 

This show looks like it will be coming back for another season, so keep an eye out! 

​Photographed by Kayla Ganley

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Echoes of Our Place, Octagon Theatre

This was Northland Youth Theatres emerging directors program for the year. We had three young directors select a classic kiwi play of their choosing and direct a 20 minute excerpt from it. The piece as a whole was moving and relatable, while maintaining both comedy and seriousness. 

Thinning, by Eli Kent - Directed by Heidi Shepherd
Cast:

The Cape, by Vivenne Plumb - Directed by Liesl Musto
Cast: 

The Intricate Art of Actually Caring, by Eli Kent - Directed by Ayesha Simperingham
​Cast:

Produced by Northland Youth Theatre 
​Photographed by Kayla Ganley
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Titus Andronicus: A Story of Revenge, WGHS Hall Theatre

After performing the 15-minute excerpt of this piece a total of four times, we decided to make it longer and put it in the Whangarei Fringe! 

This was an hour long abridged version of the original script, made with the help of Stuart Devenie. It was a tale of revenge and brutality, taking inspiration from the gang life in 1920's Britain. 

Directed by: Rose McKenzie
Lighting design and operation: Frankie Johns
​With support from Northland Youth Theatre

Cast: Haydon Gwilliam-Fraser, Tuiata Horcy, Finn McKenzie, Bella Irving, Ursula Macready, Sorcha Tracey, Llayla Gray, Sunny Samson, Liesl Musto, Quinn Duffy-Jenkins

Photographer: Grayson Sutherland

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Haunted Tales - Whangārei Central Library - Halloween 2024

NYT's annual halloween show, this year in collaboration with the Whangārei central library.
A spooky after hours tour of the stacks to scare the wits out of the Whangārei community on the creepiest night of the year.

Cast:
Lucy Murray, Jivahn Herbert, Sadie Rivas-Watson, Llayla Gray, Kevin Cloete, Izzy Bailey, Lara Gray, Adina Halford, Camryn Woonton, Sienna Hansen, Heidi Shepherd, Annabelle Martin, Robbie van Gruenen, Indigo Tomlinson and Bea Roelants.
Assistant Director: Asher Dry
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Location
10 Reyburn House Lane
Whangarei, Northland


Who we are

Northland Youth Theatre is a not-for-profit charitable trust set up to provide training for the young people of Northland in theatre craft. We deliver our training across a range of disciplines to young people from age 6 to 25 years.

Contact us
Harrie Douglas - Manager  |  [email protected]
Meg Sydenham - Education Coordinator | [email protected]
​Phone | 0226910416

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