Abby Lyons is a performer, producer, and creative based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. She completed her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in theatre and film from Te Herenga Waka / Victoria University of Wellington in 2020. Abby has received high recognition for excellence in dramatic arts.
Abby is passionate about creating beautiful performances & films that draw the audience in for intimate and engaging experiences. She enjoys experimenting with new collaborative processes and challenging herself with each creative project. Abby is a co-founder of Heartbreaker Productions, a production company that create works that show genuine connections between women and non-binary people that exist outside of the male gaze.
Abby’s most notable credits include; co-producing the short documentary Only F**ks Pat Me on The Head, nominated for New Zealand’s Best Short Film of the Year (Dir. Paul Wolffram & Steph Miller, 2021) and directing, writing, and performing in Midnight Confessions (Heartbreaker Productions, 2022).
Organisation/Company
Name: Heartbreaker Productions
My Role: Producer / Co-Founder
Heartbreaker Productions is a feminist production company from Te Whanganui a Tara, made up of four collaborators; Abby Lyons, Alia Marshall, Anna Barker and Mia Oudes.
Heartbreaker Productions are passionate about bringing heartwarming and heartbreaking feminine candor to the stage. They create productions that open the door to the lives of women that exist outside of the male gaze. Their process follows a non-hierarchical system, with a focus on developing new collaborative processes that equalises all voices in the company. They want to continue to tell stories by, for, and with women, AFAB (Assigned Female at Birth) and non-binary people.
The company was formed in 2020 on the greenroom floor of Studio 77 at Te Herenga Waka, each member bringing a plethora of skills and backgrounds to help create work from the ground up.
Their recent works include the award-nominated "Conversations with the Ghost in my Bedroom" (New Zealand Fringe Festival, 2021) performed at Gryphon Theatre, "Trifles" (Six Degrees Festival, 2022) performed on The Stage at BATS, and the inaugural performance of "Midnight Confessions" (BATS Winter Season, 2022) also performed on The Stage.
Midnight Confessions
Artform: Theatre Production
Development Status: Tour Ready
Pitch Video
Media Uploads
Trailer
Synopsis
Midnight Confessions is an experimental anthology piece about love, loss, and the power of female friendships. In the intimate setting of a sleepover, we witness girlhood at its most nostalgic; as four girls plan their dance routines, let magazine quizzes decide their fate, and get the late night giggles.
Inspired by Caryl Churchill’s anthology Love and Information, this work is a love letter to the friendships that shaped us growing up, the heartwarming and the heartbreaking.
Creative Team and Crew
Midnight Confessions features performances from Mia Oudes, Anna Barker, Abby Lyons, and Alia Marshall.
Directed by Mia Oudes, Anna Barker, Abby Lyons, and Alia Marshall.
Written by Mia Oudes, Anna Barker, Abby Lyons, and Alia Marshall.
Production Design (Set, Lighting & Projection) by Rebekah de Roo
Marketing, Publicity and Graphic Design by Ashton Marla
Photography and Stage Management by Kate Hudspith-Gooch
Sound Design by Alia Marshall
Composition by Cameron Fox
Please note, Mia Oudes was sick on the day of filming, and thus our video features a stand-in performance from our stage manager, Kate Hudspith-Gooch.
Number of People in the Touring Party
4 Performers
Previous Seasons
23rd - 27th August 2022 at BATS Theatre (The Stage, BATS, 1 Kent Terrace, Mount Victoria, Wellington)
Reviews and Quotes
“All four performers are outstanding, balancing innocence, comedic nous and a grounded humanity in their performances across the board.” - Art Murmurs
“The voice of the Heartbreaker Productions team is strong and true and deserves a wide audience to appreciate their fun-filled yet meaningful exposition of growing up.” - Regional News
“So to see a women-centric theatre work where the four performers are also the writers and directors, showing experiences that are so often dismissed and trivialised – I am living for it.
It is an entertaining, funny and moving piece of theatre. Their stories – OUR stories – are worth showing and worth centre stage. Thank you Heartbreaker Productions for bringing your original and inspiring work to the stage.” - Theatreview
Technical Rider & International Touring Info (if applicable)
- View/download document #1 here
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