Rebecca Hall and Ethan Hawke are in New Zealand to appear in 'The Cherry Orchard' and 'The Winter's Tale'. Photo / Greg Bowker
Hollywood leading man Ethan Hawke has been perusing Auckland's bookshops and basking in the sun on Waiheke Island in the lead-up to his appearance on stage tonight.
While some Aucklanders may be lucky enough to bump into the US film star as he strolls the streets, Hawke insists he is
the lucky one.
"Walking around the streets here, you feel so vibrant."
The star of Before Sunrise has popped across to Waiheke and enjoyed a tipple in the SkyCity Grand Hotel after sampling Auckland's nightlife.
As part of a touring US and British company, Hawke is one of a 15-strong cast who will perform Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard at Aotea Centre this weekend, followed by Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale from April 8 to 15.
This is his first visit Downunder and he hopes to see some of the less-traversed areas of Auckland - as well as jump off the Sky Tower.
Since arriving in Auckland on Wednesday, Hawke and the other 36 cast and crew have been lapping up the good weather and good will of New Zealanders.
British actress Rebecca Hall, whose film career includes a leading role in Woody Allen's recently released Vicky Christina Barcelona, said she enjoyed a dip in the sea at Waiheke on Thursday and was looking forward to heading back to the island while she is here.
She was impressed with the autumn weather and said the water at Waiheke was "absolutely perfect".
Actress Sinead Cusack said New Zealanders were "all gorgeous".
She would like to "get in a car and just go" - but the cast may not get much further than Waiheke as they have just one day off a week.
The show's producer Nick Schwartz-Hall said the crew were really excited about coming to New Zealand and for many it was the "opportunity of a lifetime".
