S2 | Ep14 Last Tapes Theatre Company

Going Off Script

For our last interview we have Ben, Cherie and Robin from Last Tapes Theatre Company - Benjamin trained at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London, whilst directing productions for the London fringe and cabaret circuit. Having directed productions in Germany and France, as well as nine consecutive years at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Ben moved to Auckland to continue his career.Ben has become known for his adaptations of classics, including Titus and Earnest for Fractious Tash and a musical version of Edith Nesbitt's classic Five Children and It which received critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival.His dark, original thriller Not Psycho was performed by Fractious Tash at Q Theatre in August 2015.Ben’s directing credits are many including The Tempest (AUSA), This Is Our Youth (Basement Theatre), The Effect, Not Psycho, Earnest, and Titus (Fractious Tash), Camino Real, Punk Rock, The Turn Of The Screw, Red Speedo (ATC), Twelfth Night (Fortune Theatre), and Valerie (Last Tapes Theatre Company) Cherie is a singer, actor, vocal coach, director, producer, and a company director of Last Tapes TheatreCompany. She is a graduate of The Actors’ Program, has a double degree in Drama and English from the University of Auckland, and has studied singing for the last 20 years.She is the founder and creative director of Ihi Musical Theatre Company –an auditioned youth company launching in June this year. She teaches singing to a private studio of students, for The Actors’ Program, as an itinerant teacher, and for The Auckland Performing Arts Centre. Cherie regularly vocal coaches voice and singing for professional productions in New Zealand.Cherie has been directing since2011. Recent credits include: Hubbub (Basement Theatre), Love and Information (Asst.Director, Basement Theatre), Swimming With Whales In Tonga (Nelson and Hamilton Fringe),99% for the Short & Sweet Festival where she wonBest Director. Cherie has been directing large scale musical theatre productionsfor high schools since 2015, including Seussical, Grease, Threepenny Opera, The Wiz, and The Addams Family. Cherie co-created and performed in Last Tapes’ show ‘Valerie’ in 2016, named cabaret of the year by The Herald, and most original production at the Auckland Theatre Award. Cherie is represented by Auckland Actors, and is a proud member of Actors’ Equity. Robin graduated with a BMus/BSc from the University of Auckland in 2011 majoring in composition, andstudied classical piano for over 15 years with Australian Music Examination Board and Trinity College London.Valerie is Robin’s first original work, receiving critical acclaim and going on to tour New Zealand festivals in 2017 and 2018 (Nelson, Kokomai, NZ Festival, Dunedin, Hawke's Bay)Robin works as an accompanist, repetiteur, musical director, arranger, composer, choir leader, and is company director of Last Tapes. Robin’s credits include Musical Director for The Last Five Years (Last Tapes), Earnest (Fractious Tash & Last Tapes), The Events (Silo, 2015), Guys and Dolls (ATC, 2015), and Night of the Queer (TAPAC, 2015-2016). Other roles include choir leader for Stimmung Choir, and founder of Auckland-based band The Bethell Gang.Robin is currently working on a follow up to 'Valerie' -weaving together science, personal history, and music to create a new show about memory. Recorded and Edited - Matt Eller Theme Music - Ricky Simmonds