Youth Theatre's passion for performance

25 years, 85 musicals and 250 shows. Nelson Youth Theatre continues to leave its mark on the region’s youth, helping to bring joy to children and audiences alike while creating pathways to creative careers. Four of Youth Theatre’s alumni tell their stories to Judene Edgar about how Richard Carruthers and Nelson Youth Theatre helped launch their passion for performance.

Lights, camera, action

Claudia Maree Mailer (née Peters) has gone from the bright lights of the Theatre Royal, to lights, camera, action on Hollywood sets.

Claudia’s first Youth Theatre show was Les Misérables when she was around 11 years old. Starting in the choir, she went on to perform in five Youth Theatre productions.

“When I first started Youth Theatre, I was a girl who loved to act but was too scared to perform in front of people. The self-confidence I built during my Youth Theatre journey is something I will forever be grateful for.”

While she remembers many a late-night rehearsing in Nelson Intermediate Hall, her best memories are the friendships formed. “I met one of my best friends at Youth Theatre, and I’m actually going to be her maid of honour in her wedding next year,” she says.

After graduating from Nelson College for Girls in 2013, she was accepted to study acting at the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts.

She was cast in her first film, Blind, in 2016, which starred Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore and Dylan McDermott. Over the next four years, she worked on six more films, both on-screen and behind the scenes, before landing her first lead role in the psychological thriller DieRy.

“Getting to work with Keisha Castle-Hughes on DieRy was one of my proudest moments,” she beams.

Another career highlight was seeing the trailer for Players, a Netflix movie she filmed a couple of years ago before the writer’s strike, which finally came out on Valentine’s Day this year.

“While I was only in the opening 10 minutes of the movie, my face was all over that trailer. I cried a lot of happy tears that day.”

During the pandemic, Claudia went back to school and got a degree in marketing from Stanford University, and she is now the director of marketing at a brand agency. But her passion for acting hasn’t dimmed and she still has her acting representatives who keep her busy with auditions.

“Youth Theatre showed me that the only thing you’ll regret is not trying. It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect, as long as you try. Life isn’t a dress rehearsal.”

Living the rock ‘n’ roll dream

Jake Byrom (Robinson) was only eight years old when he first trod the boards of the Theatre Royal in Nelson Youth Theatre’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He was in the junior chorus and had one line  the word ‘red’ – the first of many colours.

“It was very embarrassing the night I got it wrong,” he laughs.

He performed in 17 Youth Theatre shows in a variety of roles, including the title character in Peter Pan, Uncle Max in Sound of Music, Marius in Les Misérables, Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Chad in All Shook Up, and Emmett in Legally Blonde.

“I made friendships that I have kept for my whole life,” he says.

Fun on the stage was equalled by the fun behind the scenes.

“Simon Wynne-Jones’s shimmy, Peter Thomson’s house parties, playing Twister in the dressing room, and I think we tried badminton too, which didn't go very well at all.”

In 2016, Jake was one of 24 students selected to represent New Zealand as a member of the SGCNZ Young Shakespeare Company, performing at the Globe Theatre in London. He stayed on in London afterwards and was offered a place at the London School of Musical Theatre, where he gained a Professional Diploma in Musical Theatre. Later, he went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts - Music.

Since graduating, he’s been busy performing in shows as well as writing and producing music.

“Over the last few years, I’ve developed a love of writing for musical theatre,” he says. “My musical Nuclear Family about Ernest Rutherford was recently workshopped at the Union Theatre in London, and I am currently working on several shows, including one for next year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival called Frozen Love: A Buckingham Nicks Story.”

As well as performing at the London Palladium, Bridewell Theatre and Shaw Theatre, he has toured throughout the UK, US, Japan and New Zealand.

“Performing in Saturday Night Fever in London’s West End, all over the UK and even in Japan, is one of my career highlights,” he says.

He's currently performing in Musicals the Ultimate Live Band Sing-Along on tour around the UK until Christmas. When not touring, he performs with the 1950s rock 'n' roll band The Boulevards.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with Nelson Youth Theatre alumni Eddie Mann and Doug Colling here in the UK, as well as with some of the younger generation, Mackenzie Gardner and Matthew Edgar, on projects in New Zealand and the US.”

Looking back on his Youth Theatre days, he says he was lucky to be surrounded by hilarious, kind, hardworking people who all wanted to be around each other because they all loved performing. “Richard [Carruthers] gave us the freedom to be creative in the rehearsal room and inspired us to find love in everything we do; something I hope to find in every job professionally.”

Giving confidence to the next generation

Lily-Ellen Martin-Hine says she joined the theatre scene quite late in comparison to her peers. “It took a little while for me to develop the confidence required to extend myself into the community as a performer,” she says.

She only ever participated in one show with Nelson Youth Theatre, the New Zealand premiere of Legally Blonde the Musical in 2016. She performed the role of Paulette, the eccentric hairdresser who becomes the Richard Carruthers founded Nelson Youth Theatre confidante and close friend of the main character, Elle Woods. “I was beyond stoked to land this role, especially given I was new to Youth Theatre. To this day, believe that it is this show which truly solidified my decision to pursue the arts as a career.”

As well as inspiring her love of the arts, Youth Theatre inspired her passion for teaching and directing. In 2017, she was assistant director for the Youth Theatre production of The Little Mermaid JR. “I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing the vision of something I’d played a part in creating come to life for the first time,” she says.

After high school, Lily-Ellen moved to Wellington to study a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in theatre, education and psychology at Victoria University. She then went on to obtain a Master’s in Teaching and Learning (secondary), specialising in the performing arts.

After qualifying as a teacher, she now gets to fill her days with performing arts and with helping the next generation of budding thespians to find their confidence, working as a teacher aide/learning assistant at Nayland College. She is also a private vocal coach, where she helps youth explore their singing voices, develop healthy vocal techniques, and build a repertoire of performance-ready songs.

She is also back where she started, working as the musical director (and sometimes director) for Nelson Youth Theatre, teaching the music (solo and ensemble songs, and harmonies) and helping run musical theatre-style holiday programmes.

“I love being able to witness the development of the cast, and the show itself, from the start of the creative process, until the closing night,” she says.

“I also spend my summer holidays teaching a variety of workshops, masterclasses and performing arts programmes within the community.”

When not teaching, Lily-Ellen also writes music, although describes this as “more of a hobby.” Her first writing experience was as part of the composition team for This Is Fine: The Musical, written mostly during the first Covid-19 lockdown, adding an extra layer of challenge. The show was performed at the 2021 Wellington Fringe Festival and Lily-Ellen ended up being cast in the lead role.

“I’m really lucky to be able to do so many things that I love!”

Kiwi Flyer to King Lear

Doug Colling’s first ever Youth Theatre show was in the chorus of Sinbad the Sailor in 2003. “I had one line, which I cherished!” he recalls.

While Doug loved performing in the shows, he also loved all the backstage antics and getting curry pies from the dairy at weekend rehearsal lunch breaks. “It became where I made friends who are a big reason I am where I am today,” he says. “It helped me find a way to express myself in ways that would have otherwise probably got me in trouble; the ability to show off and mess around and it be okay – most of the time.”

During his final year at Nelson College, he was also involved in the filming of the feature film, Kiwi Flyer, inspired by the Nelson Trolley Derby, playing one of the “baddies” Shayne, alongside fellow Youth Theatre and Nelson College alum, Myer van Gosliga.

After college, he studied at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), one of the UK's most prestigious drama schools, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in acting.

While there, Doug had the opportunity to play the role of Shakespeare’s servant in the award-winning film All is True, alongside Sir Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench, who played William and Anne Shakespeare.

Following his studies, he made his professional stage debut as Connor Murphy in the newest production of Dear Evan Hansen on London’s West End. “I was very lucky to get a part in Dear Evan Hansen the musical in London after drama school,” he says. “I was a massive fan of the show before auditioning, so it was very crazy and exciting.”

Doug’s next big role is playing Edgar in Sir Kenneth Branagh’s King Lear, which will be performed off-Broadway from 14 November. Branagh is directing and performing the title role in the limited 50-performance season at The Shed. “I can’t wait to be performing in New York,” he enthuses.

Looking back on his Youth Theatre days, Doug says that he learned discipline and a strong work ethic working with Richard Carruthers and the other directors.

“Their energy and passion for the quality of the shows was infectious. I owe so much to Nelson and the Youth Theatre company. I often think of how lucky I was to be a part of it growing up.”

Nelson Youth Theatre is hosting a special 25th anniversary concert on Saturday, 30 November at the Theatre Royal. The concert will feature current and former Youth Theatre performers from around New Zealand with songs from well-loved musicals, such as Chicago, Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Grease, Mamma Mia, The Lion King, and many more. Tickets are available from the Theatre Royal.