AN INTERVIEWWITH AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Colin McColl
C
olin McColl is one of New
Zealand’s most distinguished
directors in theatre, opera and
television. He has led the Auckland
Theatre Company as Director since 2003.
Mr McColl’s career spans more than 30
years in the performing arts as an actor,
performer and producer. He has won Best
Director at the Chapman Tripp Theatre
three times, received the prestigious Arts
Laureate Award in 2007 and was made
an Officer of the New Zealand Order of
Merit in 2010.
Most recently Colin McColl directed William
Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” at the Maidment
theatre with an all male cast starring Leon
Wadham, Jordan Mooney, Anton Tennet, and
Zane Fleming as Piggy. Two former King’s
School students, Daniel Sewell and Flynn
Mehlhopt were also amongst the cast as well
as 14 current King’s School boys who were
chosen from the Chapel Choir to perform
in the production as part of the marooned
group of schoolboys in the play.
Harrison Elliott and David Barclay caught
up with Mr McColl during the production:
Kingsway:
What made you choose to
bring Lord of the Flies to the stage with
the Auckland Theatre Company?
I chose to stage Lord of the Flies because of
the power of the story – and the opportunity
it offered to showcase the talents of young
professional actors.
Kingsway:
How long did you spend
preparing the show and rehearsing?
We rehearsed for four weeks - six days a week.
The creative team, myself, my co-director and
all the designers met about once a week for
three months before rehearsals started.
Kingsway:
What did you particularly
enjoy about the production?
I enjoyed seeing all the design elements
coming together - set, costume, sound and
music and lighting. It’s important that we
were all on the same page – we understood
the concept and how to contribute to it.
Kingsway:
What made you decide to
use the King’s School choir boys in the
production? And what did they bring to
the show?
Well, there is a choir mentioned in the script
(In fact Nigel Williams, who adapted the story
for the stage – wrote it originally for his son’s
school - King’s School, Wimbledon.)
And I’d heard of the reputation of the
King’s School choir - so we contacted Emma
Featherstone, who was very enthusiastic
about the idea. In the professional theatre it’s
unusual to work with very large casts - too
costly - so having the King’s boys on board
gave us the opportunity to give a sense of
more boys on the island – with the added
extra of their beautiful voices, of course.
Kingsway:
Was this the first time you
worked with children on stage?
I did direct episodes of the TV series THE
TRIBE - and when I directed SHORTLAND
STREET I was often working with kids. In
theatre productions I’ve occasionally worked
with one or two children – but never as many
as this en masse
.
Kingsway:
What kind of theatre
productions do you enjoy doing the most?
Serious dramas, comedy, musicals etc?
I enjoy all kinds of theatre - but I guess as a
director I’m best at pretty intense stuff! Good
themes, good characters and situations appeal
to me.
Kingsway:
Where do you find your
actors and backstage people for your
productions at the Auckland Theatre
Company and how do they compare
with the talent you have worked
with overseas?
We cast from our personal knowledge of
actors in New Zealand. Or we audition for
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