Our Team

Summer Jade Millett is a vocalist, musician, and songwriter with a lifelong passion for music and performance. Trained at Toi Whakaari: The New Zealand Drama School, she has performed in theatre and music projects across New Zealand, Australia, and the UK — including recording original songs at London’s Miloco Studios.

With experience in teaching, facilitating workshops, and working with neurodiverse communities, Summer brings a deep sense of connection and creativity to every project.


Whether on stage, in the studio, or in the classroom, she is dedicated to sharing her love of music and helping others find their voice.

Education Manager

Summer Jade Millett

Kelly Gilbride

Kelly Gilbride is an award-winning creative producer and director over several mediums including theatre, podcast and film. 

Coming from a theatre background, she worked as a producer at Pop-up Globe and for Proudly Asian Theatre, producing the first year of the highly successful playreading series Fresh off the Page, as well as several theatre productions. She trained as a puppeteer under Muppeteer Peter Linz and Puppet Kitchen’s Michael Schubach, has toured shows across New Zealand.
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She has produced a number of short films, music videos and documentaries as well as a podcast series for RNZ.

Operations Manager

Lutz Hamm

Lutz Hamm is a passionate actor, maker, and director with extensive experience in both performance and teaching. Trained in the pedagogies of Giovanni Fussetti and John Bolton, he is also an alumnus of Toi Whakaari - The New Zealand Drama School, and has practiced various approaches to performance and performance education.

​As a co-founder of the Whangārei-based theatre company, Company of Giants, Lutz contributed to the creation of acclaimed productions like Odyssey, The Owl & The Pussycat, and The Vaudeville of Flowers, and remains a crucial component of the company’s future. The company’s home, ONEONESIX, serves as a hub for innovative theatre and continues to grow the capacity of Northlanders to explore, create and see wonderful pieces of work.

Programme Manager

Jan Fisher

Jan (Dip Teaching North Shore Teachers College, Dip Drama Auckland University, Dip Drama New Zealand Drama school) has been ‘doing drama’ since she fell in love with acting, when she was a college student, while playing Hortense in Zorba the Greek.

In Whangārei Jan has taught drama to students of all ages at primary, secondary, NYT and Northtec and she still gets a kick out of seeing the light in the eyes, the expansion of energy and the understanding that they have found their place when students fall in love with theatre.

Senior Drama Tutor

JJ Wellington

His favourite part of performing arts is the process of bringing something to life and sharing it with others, whether that’s in the theatre, behind the lens of the camera, or through kapa haka.

J J has been part of NYT since 2024, performing in From Havoc and Echoes of Our Place, which took out the He Kākano award at the Whangārei Fringe Festival.

Being part of the team here has helped J J to begin finding other opportunities to continue on a pathway in the performing arts, and he looks forward to what the future will hold.  

Junior Drama Tutor

Julie Edwards - Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Whare

Senior Drama Tutor

​Julie is a founding member of NYT and brings a wealth of experience as an actor, director, vocal coach, and teacher.
With over 100 productions under her belt, Julie has graced stages throughout New Zealand, including over 70 performances at the Fortune Theatre in Dunedin.

Her diverse roles span from classics like Hamlet and Twelfth Night to contemporary hits like Educating Rita and Four Flat Whites in Italy.
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Julie's love for the craft led her to return home to the North, where she's now teaching at NYT and excited to collaborate and share her skills with fellow artists.

SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED TO SHAPE NYT OVER THE YEARS

OUR COLLABORATORS

PAST
​MANAGERS/TRUSTEES

Alan Palmer - Founder
​​Peter Williams - Patron
Maria Satterfield - Manager
Derek Simpson - Manager
Rose Daly - Manager
Jess Collins - Manager
Wayne Mckean - Chairman
Gareth Mauchline - Trustee
Oliver Scripps - Trustee
Ringi Smith - Trustee
​Nick Reeves - Trustee
Clark - Manager
​Zac Olsen - Chairman
​Arana Horncy - Trustee
Graham Franks - Treasurer

PAST DIRECTORS/PRODUCERS

Sunny Amey
Alan Palmer
Brian Divers
Don Selwyn
Sam Scott
Christian Penny
Sean Allan
​Rawiri Paratene
Chris Graham 
Laurel Devenie
Ash Holwell
Liz Sugrue
Jan Fisher 
Maria Satterfield
Kelly Johnson 
​Rob Pollock 
Katy Maudlin 
Jo Randerson
​Benjamin Teh
Hayley Douglas
​Georgia-May Russ
Jarod Tuck
Wendy Izzard
​Lutz Hamm
Julie Edwards
​Rose McKenzie

PAST CREATIVE TEAM

Rachel McAlpine - Writer
Natasha James – Lighting Designer
Gina Moss – Producer
Chloe Alderton – Designer
Charley Draper – Designer
Tim Bell – Lighting Designer
Benjamin Teh – Actor/writer
Fiona Douglas - Costumes
Hayley Douglas - Costumes
​Hayley Clark - Costumes
​Chris Kwark - Lighting
Chloe King- Costumes
Tayla Matheson- Costumes
Erin Griffin- Make-up
Matt de Boer - Sound
Josh Kiwkiwi - Set/prop
Kenza Bell-Booth - Costume
Scott Wynne - Lighting

PAST ACTORS

William Davis - Actor
Shannon Douglas - Actor
Benjamin Teh – Actor/writer
Milo Cawthorne - Actor
Lutz Hamm- Actor
Anthony Crum- Actor
Summer Millett- Actor
Mataara Stokes- Actor
Thomas Gowing- Actor
Tomasin Fisher-Johnson- Actor
Zara Skuse- Actor

There are so many more amazing people you have contributed to NYT over the past 34 years.
We would love to include everyone to this list so please contact us, so we can add you to our NYT Whanau Tree.