Meet the Crew

	Julie Watson has been playing back for the past decade. She loves the immediateness of the form, the interaction with the audience and the way it can build community. She is an educator for the Human Rights Commission and is an associate of Everyday Theatre a theatre in education project using process drama to open the conversation around family relationships and domestic violence for young people. She has a Masters degree in Drama in Education through Griffith University in Brisbane.
	Richard comes from a teaching and performance background. Although originally born in New Zealand he has lived a lot of his life in the UK where he has performed as a professional actor in a variety of contexts. Richard has been a member of Auckland Playback Theatre, London Playback Theatre, Playback South (in the South of England) and set up two Playback theatre companies, in Beckenham and in Blackheath, both in South East London. Richard is also currently a member of Playback International.
	Katrina believes Playback Theatre has offered outstanding training in her acting career. "It is theatre in its most raw and challenging form, plus a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together and hear each other's stories". Katrina Liddell has trained in drama with 'Act Up' while living in England, and since returning to New Zealand has been a member of 'Living Theatre' and Playback Theatre. She has also delighted thousands of children throughout Auckland as Fairy Katrina. (www.fairykatrina.co.nz)
	Gareth  first joined playback theatre in South London in 2003 where he developed his improvisation acting skills. Gareth usually plays the role of musician with Auckland Playback Theatre. He uses a wide variety of percussion and woodwind instruments to build an imaginative sound-scape for company performances. (www.garethwilliams.co.nz)
	Jessica has been with Auckland Playback for 14 years. In an age of computers and sound bytes Playback is important because it is oral storytelling. As a school drama teacher I am always stressing the importance of stories and personal experiences to my students. I love the fact that every Playback performance is different, that it provides a place, like those ancient campfires where people can share their stories. Jessica is also a freelance drama practitioner with her company, Talespinners - contact at: jessrigol@yahoo.co.nz
	Although Trevor has joined Auckland Playback Theatre only in the past couple of years, he has long been involved as a supporter. Trevor's participation in theatre generally, however goes back over 30 years in such various roles as actor, director stage manager, lighting hand. He is by profession a teacher of secondary school drama.
	Patricia is relatively new to Playback. She loves the interaction of hearing, telling and acting back other people's stories.  She is currently studying for her Diploma at the Pacific Institute of Performing Arts where she has recently found a love for Contemporary Dance.  Patricia says "It is another way to express myself, which is also why I love playback.  Studying at P.I.P.A. also allows me to tap into my Cook Island and Tahitian roots where I am also learning Pacific Island Dance".
	Adam was born and brought up in London. He joined Auckland Playback not long after his arrival in New Zealand last year. He is studying computing for a Diploma in IT. Adam says," I enjoy drama and working with people to create things of value." Although Adam has sung in a choir and performed in plays at school, this is his first venture into improvised acting!
	Amanda Prasow is a professional actor originally from Toronto.  “What excites me about Playback is that it consistently reminds us why theatre exists: to help us understand ourselves through seeing our stories onstage.”  Amanda moonlights as a playwright and director and is currently producing her first documentary by Nakavika Films.  She holds an Honours B.A. in Drama from the University of Toronto and studied contemporary dance at Lancaster University in England.
	Catherine is originally from Auckland but has recently returned from Latin America where she spent a year working with an educational theatre company performing plays in English for children of all ages. Catherine is new to Playback Theatre, but has previous experience with improvisation. She is excited to be involved in a type of theatre which provides an opportunity for audiences and actors to share their experiences of life and she's looking forward to having a lot of fun while doing it!
	Itai Biran is an urban farmer, baker, cheese maker and actor. He is also a proud father. Playback is a new and exciting arena for him. It's a unique form of human encounter which enables a myriad of possibilities and creations to arise out of the dialogue between the performers and those who watch and listen.
	Drew has just joined playback, in the role of musician, after being an appreciative audience member for the last two years. He loves the creativity of playback and the way it gives a voice to people from all walks of life by providing a medium for their stories to be told. Drew has been working as a professional musician for the last decade and has a love of improvised music. He is currently working as a saxophonist with Jazz, Funk, R&B and Reggae musicians, well also teaching the saxophone, clarinet and guitar.