JEFF KINGSFORD BROWN

Jeff Kingsford-Brown is an outstanding thespian. He attended the infamous NZ Drama School in the early 80’s, & went on to study Theatre Direction in London, 1988. He lives in Otaki, on the Kapiti Coast, about an hour north of Wellington.

Jeff’s most recent theatre work has been in the world premier of The Devil’s Architect by Canadian playwright Dolly Reisman, performed at Soundings Theatre, Te Papa & later transferred to the Hawkes Bay for a short season. He played Albert Speer, the Third Reich’s favourite architect in a powerful piece about the nature of evil.

He directed the incomparable Helen Moulder in her latest one woman show, A Vote for Cynthia, which played a limited season at Circa to glowing reviews & packed houses. This hilarious take on politics, opera & life transferred to Centrepoint, Palmerston North, & Helen was invited back to Circa 2 at Christmas to perform the show in tandem with her previous show, The Legend Returns.

Also with Helen Moulder, Jeff appeared in the operatic comedy, Cynthia Fortitude’s Farewell – her first, at Soundings Theatre, Te Papa. His role was hapless German tuba player, Dr Van Winkledorf. Directed by Danny Mulheron, Jeff & Helen are hoping the show tour this year.

He also directed the tenth anniversary production of David Geary’s rural comedy, The Farm, at Centrepoint to packed houses & great reviews.

Mid last year saw Jeff in the fantastic role of Julius Caesar in Paul Jenden & Gareth Farr’s critically acclaimed musical, Rome, set at a dinner party at one of Caesar’s villas. Needless to say Caesar gets his come-uppance, shortly after dessert. He was also in Jenden & Farrs’ stunning tour de force Monarchy, Jeff played a bewildering array of kings & queens at Circa. The play threw unexpected light on some of the doings of the rulers of the United Kingdom.

In a lovely twist of fate, Jeff was last seen at the Fortune in the 25th Anniversary production of Roger Hall’s, Middle Aged Spread. Lovely, because 2009 is the Fortune’s 35th Anniversary! He played Colin a role which he repeated a few months later at Centrepoint Theatre in a warmly received production by Jonathan Hendry.

In 2007 he appeared in Roger Halls sell-out pantomime at Circa, Jack & the Beanstalk, in the role of the, Bob, the mad butcher, who shouted a lot & frightened the children. But his first Hall Panto was, Aladdin, as the Grand Vizier, at Circa Theatre.

In duets he will play five different men in a series of scenes that will highlight his cleverness as an actor.

His local theatre in Otaki is also celebrating a 35th Anniversary just like the Fortune, & Jeff will be in their celebratory musical production later this year.

He has 3 children & a small dog.

SUSAN CURNOW

An undergraduate degree from Canterbury in Zoology prepared Susan for a life in the theatre….. She starting acting at University, and then studied theatre at LAMDA in the UK, and has worked there as both an actor and director for many years. Most of her theatre roles have been in the “classics”: Medea, Lady MacBeth, Cleopatra, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream , Rosalind in As You Like It, Margaret in Henry VI and Richard III; Dona Rosita in Lorca’s Dona Rosita, the Spinster, Natalya in Turgenev’s A Month in the County. She has worked in film and television, and for BBC & RTE Radio, and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association. She returned to New Zealand to direct Dancing at Lughnasa at the Court Theatre in Christchurch, and has appeared more recently in the Court productions of The Country Wife as Lady Fidget, and Amanda in The Glass Menagerie. She played the Narrator in The Man that Lovelock couldn’t beat (by Dean Parker) at Circa Theatre, Gloria and Mrs Ahern in Gods of Warm Beer (by Peter Hawes) at Centrepoint. She has worked on Shortland Street, making her return to New Zealand complete!