New TV series bringing Broadway to the Bay of Plenty

Happiness leads Rebecca Gibney (left), who plays Gaye, and Harry McNaughton, who plays Charlie. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery

A new TV series, described as a “love letter to Tauranga”, is set to bring comedy, drama and music to screens around the country.

Happiness is the newest comedy drama series coming to Three on April 3, and stars renowned Kiwi actress Rebecca Gibney - known for her roles in The Flying Doctors, Halifax f.p, and Packed to the Rafters.

“It just felt like an amateur theatre production - and that’s how we felt when we were filming it, it really felt like we became this little family,” Gibney told Newstalk ZB.

In Happiness, Charlie Summers, an ex-Kiwi Broadway director played by Harry McNaughton, is forced to return to his home town Tauranga, where his mum, played by Gibney, makes him join her amateur theatre society.

He meets the eclectic cast and crew who, for the first time, are putting on a brand new musical for the good people of Tauranga - The Trojan Horse.

Charlie can’t help but try to make the show better and finds himself challenging the leadership, upsetting almost everyone on the cast and crew, and has to find a way to make the best show possible.

Harriet Crampton, executive producer, said the show was multi-generational and acted as a love letter to the city of Tauranga.

She said there had never been a musical theatre show in New Zealand, and Happiness was the first of its kind.

Harriet Crampton (right) was the executive producer of Happiness and said the show was the first of its kind. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery

“I consider it to be a bit of a love letter to Tauranga, because the show’s called Happiness and the people in it are doing what makes them happy.

“We chose Tauranga because we wanted it to be in a place where people have as much fun as they do outside of work.”

She said Tauranga was chosen as the setting because it’s “such a wonderful relaxation town” as well as being a great town in its own right.

“Tauranga is one of the homes of theatre in New Zealand, there’s so much of it there.

“There seems to be a very fine tradition of musical theatre in that city [Tauranga] and it seemed like the ideal setting,” Crampton said.

The majority of Happiness was filmed on an interior set in Auckland with exterior outdoor shots filmed in Tauranga to capture the essence of the city.

Harry McNaughton and Jessie Lawrence were two of the lead actors in Happiness.

McNaughton played Charlie and told the Bay of Plenty Times that Happiness was a “true ensemble show” and the show was “such a joy”.

Harry McNaughton plays Charlie and said he hadn't been a leading man before but the show was such a joy. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery

“It’s a surprisingly premium show, there’s heaps of heart underneath it, and I think the characters are broad and very funny.

“I haven’t been a leading man before, so being front and centre was confronting and it kind of changes your performance a little bit.”

He said there was a “huge amount” of truth underneath all the character portrayals.

“You can’t just go for the gags, you’ve got to craft an emotional throughline that is heightened enough that it’s in the world of comedy but grounded enough so the audience can look through your eyes.

“You’re kind of the lens into the world. It was interesting to me, and I hadn’t done that before.”

Jessie Lawrence played Jacqui and said she was one of the “crazier characters”.

“I’ve played characters in theatre that were in a similar vein to Jacqui, but she was kind of unique in and of herself, and she was an absolute joy to play.

“There are a lot of different layers to her, but she has a big presentational mask that I had a lot of fun with putting on and playing with everyone else’s amazing characters.”

Lawrence said those who love musical theatre will enjoy the show, and even those who have never seen musical theatre in their life will also enjoy it, as it isn’t the main focus of the whole show.

Jessie Lawrence, who played Jacqui, said Happiness felt like a breath of fresh air for New Zealand television. Photo / Warner Bros. Discovery

“The show feels like a breath of fresh air for New Zealand television, and there’s so much uniqueness to it.

“It all just feels so homegrown, delicious and fresh,” she said.

Both McNaughton and Lawrence hope their portrayals of hometown Tauranga characters do the Bay of Plenty proud and show what happiness truly means.

“We’re excited to be repping the Bay of Plenty, and I hope we do them proud,” McNaughton said.

“I feel like the world needs a bit of happiness right now,” Lawrence said.

Happiness starts Thursday, April 3, 8.30pm, and is available to watch on Three and ThreeNow.

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.