Rohe

Originally from a rural village in Gloucestershire, England next to the town of Stroud, I moved to sunny Whakatū in 2000 where I nurtured a love for theatre and activism. I am grateful to be here in Aotearoa, particularly Te Whanganui-a-Tara where I have been based for the last ten years. I moved to Wellington to study for a BA (Hons) in Film Production and have had an eclectic and exciting life in the live arts sector ever since.

How I got where I am today

I worked behind a Box Office for over 11 years, including the role of Box Office Manager at Circa Theattre 2017 - 2021. Whilst behind the Box Office, I simultaneously grew my production company and earned immense trust from a wide range of artists to lift up their work. More recently, I was a Producer for the 2022 Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts, with large artist responsibility on the five-month long season of Destination Mars at Te Papa Tongarewa.

My company A Mulled Whine was founded in 2017 to produce a 19-location, 22 date national comedy tour and has not making work stopped since. Alongside my own non-profit company, I am a Producer for experimental theatre collective Binge Culture. I have won two The Wellington Theatre Awards (Theatre Angel, 2020 // Most Promising Newcomer, 2018) and a NZ Fringe Award (Most Promising Emerging Artist, 2018), as well as being a part of dozens of award-winning works.

My drive has always been to support artists and make sure their work is given the best opportunity to succeed, whilst also reaching out to audiences with work that expands viewpoints in an entertaining form. My background in activist spaces, from founding several queer advocacy and support groups to producing and marketing events for Amnesty International, has given me an organisational foundation and people-led kaupapa that is behind all the work I do now.

Whānau

A Mulled Whine has built strong relationships with several key creatives through artist-driven process, fight for fair pay, extra mile support available, and respect throughout the process and beyond. I am honoured to see so many artists continually come back to me with their newest ideas, and those who are keen to work with me again because they trust my process.

Frequent and returning collaborators include Thom Monckton, Set Designer Lucas Neal, Composer and Sound Designer Oliver Devlin, Director Katherine McRae, Playwrights Sam Brooks and Uther Dean, Operator and Stage Manager Niamh Campbell-Ward, Light Designer and Actor Isadora Lao, Playwright and Actor Barnaby Olson, Actor and Director Adam Rohe, Stage Manager Sam Tippet, Light Designer and Technician Hāmi Hawkins, Actors Stevie Hancox-Monk, Sepelini Mu'au, Tess Sullivan and Arlo Gibson, Comedian James Hilary Penwarden, Stage Manager and Producer Tyler Clarke, Colossal NZ Productions, and UK touring performers Wright&Grainger.