TAHI Team 2023

Festival Director and Producer
She/Her

Dr Sally Richards is a director, teacher, deviser and producer. Her research investigates the rehearsal room relationship between the director and the solo performer. She is the creator and artistic director of the annual TAHI: New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance, and currently a teaching fellow at Victoria University of Wellington. Recent directing work includes Lynda Chanwai-Earle's Hole for Circa Theatre, Wellington and six new monologues on the theme of Joy at BATS Theatre.

Production, Events &
Financial Manager
She/Her

Beth is a graduate of the Master of Fine Arts programme at Victoria University in Theatre and an experienced touring and festival producer.

As the production, events and financial manager of TAHI: New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance, Beth lives in the world of spreadsheets, scheduling and contracts - to help creative projects get off their feet.

Beth is also the administrator for the Wellington Theatre Awards and PAYPA (Performing arts for young people Aotearoa). Her previous works include Seasons, The Lost Letter Office, LEGEND and The Glitter Garden.

Co Marketing Director
She/Her

Tyler is an emerging theatre producer and publicist based in Pōneke, Wellington. After completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Theatre at VUW in 2019 she dove into the Wellington Theatre industry. She originally worked as a stage manager on productions such as The Glitter Garden at Circa Theatre in 2020, TRANSMISSION at BATS Theatre in 2020 and Secret Lives of Sixteen Year Old Girls, also at BATS Theatre, in 2021.

At the end of 2021, Tyler was proudly awarded a Best Newcomer Award at the Wellington Theatre Awards. Since then she has thrown herself into producing and publicity. Just this year, she has worked on a number of exciting projects, such as Cringeworthy - The 80s, Wonderkind, Wednesday to Come and Tea With Terrorists, all at Circa Theatre. Tyler also works part time for the New Zealand String Quartet as their Marketing and Administration Coordinator.

She is stoked to be climbing aboard the TAHI waka with all of these other amazing humans!

Co Marketing Director
She/Her

Fay is a freelance Performing Arts Manager based in Pōneke, Wellington. This is the third year Fay has worked on the TAHI Festival team and while she has enjoyed various roles with the festival in the past, she now joins the team as the Marketing Co-Director. Fay has a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Theatre from Victoria University Te Herenga Waka where she excelled in Producing, Production and Stage Management. Alongside her freelance contracts, Fay works as the Box Office Manager at Circa Theatre where she takes care of the day-to-day running of the box office.

Marketing Intern
She/Her

Candria is a passionate student pursuing a Marketing and International Business degree at Victoria University of Wellington. With a deep-rooted background in dance, she has always been captured by the arts in all its forms, including painting, poetry, fashion, and other creative outlets. Eager for her first internship, she is thrilled to join the marketing team for TAHI, an opportunity that allows her to merge her marketing skills with her love for the arts.

Marketing Intern
She/Her

Katie is a full-time student at Wellington University of Victoria, studying Marketing and Industrial Design. She has a history of studying drama, as well as starring in school shows, drawing her into Tahi as her first internship. Her history with drama, skills in design, and a degree in marketing, allow her to pursue Tahi head-on, full of eagerness!

Website Manager
He/Him

Jacob Cleghorn has recently completed his Master of Fine Arts (CP) in Theatre at Victoria University of Wellington. Jacob’s passion is creating theatre that explores identity and culture through understanding history. Jacob recently debuted his show ‘FRACTURE’ at BATS Theatre which explored the stories of survivors of the 1931 Napier Earthquake. As well as working for TAHI Jacob is the Assistant Producer for PlayShop and has been involved in the 6 Degrees Festival and Second Unit and is developing his skills as an emerging Producer

Content Creator - Video
He/Him

Ben’s background and passion is rooted in documentary, music and all things creative. Whether he is behind the camera or deep in the edit, Ben is committed to making every frame count. Ben is proud to be making engaging content for TAHI Festival.

Graphic Designer
She/Her

Aimée is a multi-disciplinary designer who has been designing for businesses and charities for 8 years. She loves telling stories in one frame and bringing playfulness and joy to design. She currently resides in Te Whanganui a Tara and is so excited to be a part of Tahi 2023.

Sustainability Coordinator,
Festival Intern
She/Her

Brooke is a freelance technician, stagehand and arts administration based in Ohio/Indiana, USA. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Arts Administration at Indiana University. She graduated from The Ohio State University in 2022 with a B.A. in Arts Management, a B.A. in English with a concentration in Film, Literature and Popular Culture Studies and a minor in Theatre. Previous credits include Assistant Stage Manager for Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (Indiana University), Technical Director for Heathers The Musical (Off the Lake Productions, Ohio State University), Technical Director/Producer for Through the Looking Glass, The Rainbow Fish Musical and Cover Story (Amherst Junior High Drama Club, Amherst, OH.)

Along with her freelancing and stagehand jobs, Brooke works as the Development Associate at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington, Indiana, where she takes care of maintaining their donor database, helping with grant applications and assisting in other philanthropic activities.

HATCH Facilitator and Trustee
Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa
She/Her

Emma is a Pōneke based actor, director, and sound designer, who's place of study doesn't value education, Te Herenga Waka #stopthecuts. She has recently returned from the ‘Land of the Long Long Drive’, dir by Catriona Tipene, ‘Pinnochio: the Pantomime’ by Gavin Rutherford and Simon Leary, her first solo show ‘3 Steps Back’, dir by Kate Anderson, and The Court Theatre's The Girl on the Train, directed by Holly Chappell-Eason. Other accolades include ‘Destination Mars’, dir by Kip Chapman, and ‘White Men’ dir by Carrie Green. She has recently been stretching her directing muscles with Tahi alumni Jeremy Hunt with his show ‘Ted Talks:Crimes’, and her literal muscles in a motion capture study led by Dr Nicola Hyland, Dr Hedwig Eisenbarth, and Areito Echevarria.

Festival Photographer
She/Her

Dianna Thomson is a freelance photographer based in Wellington. Originally trained as a registered nurse Dianna uses her skills gathered from working with diverse communities to engage with and capture people in a natural and candid way. She has worked with international companies such as Illumina to capture children with rare disease, Hutt City Council photographing children at play for their pukutākaro project and for the Ministry of Education for their Gifted Children document.

Lead Technician
They/Them

Bekky is a Multimedia Theatre Technician and Operator based in Wellington. They are a full-time theatre tech freelancer. Bekky graduated in 2019 with a degree in Communication. Bekky is a very hands-on person who loves to problem solve and loves to support the tech and set the creation of a show. They have since been involved with lighting, sound, AV and set design and operator for various shows at Circa, Bats, Te Auaha, Massey University and Toi Whakaari. Some to mention; Transmission (2021), Ted talks crimes (Tahi festival 2021), Gag Reflex (Fringe 2022), Wonderkind (2022).

Technician/ Operator
She/Her

Rebekah de Roo is a theatre designer based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. She completed a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre with distinction and a Bachelor of Arts at Te Herenga Waka. Alongside freelancing, Rebekah works as a technician for the VUW theatre programme and with Trick of the Light Theatre as an assistant. Rebekah is passionate about making weird and magical designs. Recently, her work has included projection design for Prima Facie and Pinocchio: The Pantomime, production design for ratKing, Midnight Confessions and Tales from the Strypt as well as lighting design for Only Bones – Daniel Nodder. Rebekah is excited to be joining the TAHI team as a technician and to work with the lovely ONO team on projection.

Producer - Verbatim
He/Him

James is an actor, producer, & podcaster based in Te Whanganui-a-tara. He is a graduate of the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, where studied his M.A. in Professional Acting from 2018- 2019, following his undergraduate B.A. from Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. James has joined the 2023 TAHI Festival team as the Creative Producer for ‘Verbatim’. Recent producing credits include ‘Where The Water Lies’ for the 2023 New Zealand Fringe, and ‘Off The Page’ for the 2022 Featherston Booktown Festival. Previously, James performed in TAHI’s 2020 polylogue ‘BATCH’, and was also a part of the company that toured the show to Wellington Schools in 2021.

Lighting Designer and Operator - Verbatim
She/Her

Niamh is a technical operator, stage manager and designer based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Her work in live arts has taken her around Aotearoa, Australia and Northern Europe. Niamh is particularly passionate about solo performance. Previous productions she has been involved in include Prima Facie, The Artist, Title and Deed and Skin Tight. It is her second year working with TAHI, this time as the lighting designer and operator for Verbatim at Circa Theatre.