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Home / Stratford Press

New Plymouth Operatic gives students Wicked lesson

Ilona Hanne
By Ilona Hanne
News director Lower North Island communities·Stratford Press·
6 Jul, 2021 07:30 AM3 mins to read

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Wicked actors, from left, Justin Clinton-Gohdes (the Wizard), Rebekah Head (Glinda), Jess Old (Nessarose) and Sam Mitchell (Fiyero) spoke about the acting process and their preparation. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Wicked actors, from left, Justin Clinton-Gohdes (the Wizard), Rebekah Head (Glinda), Jess Old (Nessarose) and Sam Mitchell (Fiyero) spoke about the acting process and their preparation. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Just under 500 students from around Taranaki enjoyed a detailed look behind the scenes of New Plymouth Operatic's (NPOS) production of Wicked last month.

NPOS marketing manager for Wicked, Tracey Blake, says the NPOS Schools Programme for Wicked was well-attended by students from schools all over the region.

Students attending the programme were given more than just a glimpse at the work that goes on behind the scenes of a large scale theatre production like Wicked.

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They were taken in groups around several stations at the TSB Showplace in New Plyouth. listening to proffessionals in a range of fields, from lighting and stage managment to wardrobe, makeup, special effects and some of the actors themselves.

Makeup artist Joanne Pierce transforms model Michaela Deegan into a green skinned witch. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Makeup artist Joanne Pierce transforms model Michaela Deegan into a green skinned witch. Photo / Ilona Hanne

New Plymouth Operatic Society president Mark Leuthard​ also spoke to the students, telling them over 200 volunteers were involved in bringing a show like Wicked to life. On average, he said, there were five people working backstage for every single actor the audience saw on stage.

3D makeup artist and prosthetic mask maker John Bannister spoke to the students about how he brings ideas to life. Photo / Ilona Hanne
3D makeup artist and prosthetic mask maker John Bannister spoke to the students about how he brings ideas to life. Photo / Ilona Hanne

When students visited the wardrobe department, they were given the opportunity to see some of the eye-catching costumes featured in the show upclose, as well as being given an insight into some of the secrets those costumes held.

Those secrets ranged from just how quickly actors had to change outfits for some scenes, to how a dress could be adjusted on stage to create a particular illusion in the show. The show's 269 costumes comprised of over 800 different components, students were told.

3D makeup artist John Bannister works his magic on student model Ella Coulton. Photo / Ilona Hanne
3D makeup artist John Bannister works his magic on student model Ella Coulton. Photo / Ilona Hanne

Some of the show's cast spoke to students, answering a range of questions from how do they prepare for a show like Wicked to how they felt about auditions and why they enjoyed working as an actor.

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Taranaki Diocesan student Ella Coulton models her new scar, courtesy of 3D makeup artist John Bannister. Photo / Ilona Hanne
Taranaki Diocesan student Ella Coulton models her new scar, courtesy of 3D makeup artist John Bannister. Photo / Ilona Hanne

NPOS backstage volunteer Michaela Deegan was in the makeup department where she was being expertly transformed into a green-tinged witch by makeup artist Joanne Pierce in front of visiting students.

3D effects artist John Bannister was also there, showing students how he created masks and prosthetics to help bring ideas to life. He demonstrated some of those skills using students themselves as models.

Having seen the magic backstage, students were then invited to the evening performance of the show, where they could see all the tricks and tips they had learned used on stage to bring the show to life.

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