An all-women powerhouse cast and crew come together from across Aotearoa for the Auckland premiere of a West End smash hit by Amelia Bullmore and Directed by Stephanie McKellar Smith.
A gorgeous and affecting mix of nostalgia with gut-punching honesty.
“From the opening night alone, I can tell the season is set to blow audiences away ” – Jezelle Bidols, Regional News 2020 at Circa Theatre , Wellington
Di and Viv and Rose – a celebration of female friendship across four decades. This sharp, relatable story is centred around three diverse and loveable women, following them as they grow together and drift apart through big events and little moments in life. Intelligently written, the play envelops the viewer with political retrospect, emotional dramatic shifts, and plenty of antics, set to an iconic 80’s soundtrack.
“This is a powerhouse cast. As a trio they will be incandescent.” – Sir Roger Hall CNZM, QSO
This NZ production stars and reunites real-life long-term friends Jodie Dorday (Mrs Wilkinson in ATC’s Billy Elliot; Filthy Business; Trish on Westside; Under The Vines), Lisa Chappell (Logie Award winner as Claire McLeod in McLeods Daughters, Shortland Street and extensive TV and theatre roles throughout NZ) and Eilish Moran (lead roles in over 80 productions at The Court Theatre, Christchurch).
Dorday and Chappell have shared stage and screen for over two decades. They first worked together 25 years ago in ATC’s 1997 All My Sons and are thrilled to be sharing the stage again. Says Dorday, “Our paths crossed again in the early 2000’s when we both worked in Sydney and I would pop into the shop in Darling Harbour where Lisa worked prior to her success in McLeods Daughters for a cuppa and always, always a laugh! We recently reconnected, hugging in the green room at Shorty St and hope our real-life long-time bond of friendship will make an authentic connection with the audience.”
The 2022 production is set to premiere in Auckland on 10 November 2022. After the Wellington premiere and sell-out season in Dunedin in 2020, the Auckland season was postponed three times due to covid lockdown restrictions. Says Dorday, “It’s been relentless determination; an incredible group of strong wāhine cast and crew; support from the team at The Pumphouse Theatre and a true belief in this stunning piece of theatre that has got us through. I believe that theatre in our community is more important than ever in current challenging times – we want to see audiences laughing and crying once again and I want to support women in the arts. To be able to provide professional opportunities for artists, creatives and technicians after the tumultuous past two years is heart lifting.”
DI AND VIV AND ROSE
The Pumphouse Theatre 10 Nov – 20 Nov 2022
Tickets $39 full / $30 concession / $25 Under 25 / $30 Friends of The Pumphouse