ÉMILIE

We are thrilled to have had an almost completely sold-out first season of ÉMILIE at Auckland's Q Theatre Loft, with standing ovations! Thank you to everyone who came along to experience the story of the remarkable Émilie, la Marquise du Châtelet, and Voltaire.

"Lindsay’s ÉMILIE is a sweet, delightful, funny and expertly crafted tribute to a woman who was able to assert her authority on the world by reaching for a pinnacle of acclaim in the era of enlightenment by the measure of light itself, amongst other achievements." Read the Theatreview review.

"ÉMILIE is an intriguing and beguiling play that unfolds its story in a gentle and tender way. Rich in humour and with a social message, this piece of theatre is beautifully written with compelling performances and charming design touches, and thus, it simply shines." Read Andrew Whiteside's review 

"[This is a love story that] embraces disagreement, sarcasm, encouragement, some very funny moments and an appreciation of beauty. It is built on mutual support, encouragement and intellectual rapport. It is moving... ÉMILIE is very definitely a breath of fresh air. It may have also revealed a playwright who will go far." Read Malcolm Calder's review in NZ Arts Review.

Peau and Sophie spoke with Bryan Crump on RNZ Concert this week, about the project and script development, music collaboration, and the brilliant Émilie du Châtelet. Listen to their interview here.

Peau Halapua: Music Director and Violinist

Peau descends from Lapaha and Hihifo in the Kingdom of Tonga; and Pārāwai, Aotearoa. She has performed and worked professionally as a violin player from the age of 14, graduating from The University of Auckland BMus (Hons) as senior scholar, and The Australian National Academy of Music’s Advanced Performers Programme. After receiving a Masters in Violin Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in the United States, Peau became interested in how speaking from the heart can navigate difference and began working with her father, Dr Sitiveni Halapua, helping him use storytelling, which he called Talanoa, to build peace in the Pacific region. Recent projects include stage performances for L.A.B., TEEKS, Tami Neilson, Sol3Mio, Girl from the North Country and Marae In The Sky; studio recordings for SJD, Nathan Haines and Majic Paora; and film recordings for Juniper, Mothers Of The Revolution and Joika.

Nati Pereira: Set, Costume and Props Designer

Nati is a qualified Museologist, Interior and Theatre Designer specialised in Set and Costume Design across theatre, television and cultural events, with experience working in Uruguay, Italy and New Zealand. She was Set and Costume Designer and Producer of Habbuk, by her Uruguayan-based theatre company Animalismo Teatro. In 2021, Habbuk was adapted for a New Zealand audience, and directed by Sophie Lindsay. Performed at BATS Theatre, Habbuk received four nominations, including Best of Fringe 2021 and won Best Momentus Movement at the NZ Fringe Festival Awards. Other theatre highlights include working on Auckland Theatre Company’s 2023 productions The Heartbreak Choir, King Lear, Basmati Bitch, and Things That Matter, Basement Theatre’s 2022 Christmas Show Sleigh, and A Slightly Isolated Dog Theatre Company’s productions A Trojan War at Basement Theatre and Safety In Numbers. She worked with Sophie on the development and showing of ÉMILIE (previously called The Story of Émilie – and Voltaire) in November 2020.

D. Andrew Potvin: Producer and Lighting Designer

Andrew is the Director of Andrew Potvin Designs Ltd, specialising in tour and production management, ticketing services and lighting design. He has an events portfolio spanning twenty years across the globe, from his native United States of America to his adopted homeland of New Zealand. Andrew serves as a resident Tour Manager and Designer for the award-winning Indian Ink Theatre Company including international tours of The Pickle King, Mrs Krishnan’s Party and Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream. Producer at Tour-Makers between 2015 and 2018, As a Lighting Designer, Andrew has designed over 150 productions. Notable design collaborations include with Indian Ink Theatre Company’s Parade or the Impermanence of Ice Cream, Mrs Krishnan’s Party and The Pickle King, with Auckland Theatre Company’s Guys and Dolls, Lollywitch of Mumuland, Sau e Siva Creative’s Alatini, Wizard of Otahuhu, and Auckland Music Theatre Inc. productions Carrie, Spring Awakening, and Sweeney Todd.

Sarah Spence: Cellist

Classically trained cellist, Sarah Spence holds a Masters in Chamber Music and has performing experience ranging from across the UK, Europe and New Zealand. As a freelancer in NZ, Sarah performs with Auckland’s professional orchestras, has played in the pit for shows Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, has performed with touring artists such as Hugh Jackman, Tami Neilson, Geoff Sewell and Sol3Mio and currently performs regularly with Fever Candlelight as part of Kulios String Quartet. When not performing, Sarah spends her time in Ōtara, South Auckland working with the local community as Music Director at Sistema Aotearoa, a music programme and registered charity that strives to unleash the potential of the seriously talented Ōtara youth by providing free orchestral instrument tuition.

Beth Alexander: Émilie

Beth graduated from The Actors’ Program in 2016 and has since been working in a range of projects throughout New Zealand and internationally. Beth’s theatre credits include Goat Vs. Tortoise directed by Will Alexander, Vernon God Little directed by Leon Wadham, a devised show directed by Tom Eason, playing leads in both The Court Theatre’s Badjelly The Witch and Top Dog Theatre Company’s Twelfth Night, touring NZ with The Ugly Shakespeare Company in 2019 and the award-winning Fringe show Contractions in 2021. Beth has been involved in a number of screen projects, recently spending three months in Queenstown shooting season three of One Lane Bridge while co-creating two indie feature films; Small-town Fish, a road trip love story from Wellington to Gore; and heartbreak drama Meet Me At The Baptistry shot in Tuscany in 2022. She stars in each of these alongside ÉMILIE co-star Justin Rogers. These films are now in post-production. 

"I am passionate about the power of storytelling, and the importance in a range of stories and perspectives reaching our audiences. I am thrilled to be a part of the ÉMILIE team, and to share in bringing this epic story of a real woman’s forgotten brilliance to New Zealand viewers."

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Justin Rogers: Voltaire

Justin Rogers (Te Awara, Ngāpuhi) trained at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School and graduated in 2015. He has since featured in various theatre productions and on screen, with highlights including the Auckland Theatre Company productions of Shortland Street: The Musical directed by Simon Bennet, playing the lead Dr Ropata praised as “a fantastically fluid performance by Justin Rogers” (NZ Herald). Justin has worked with Auckland Theatre Company on several other productions including The Cherry Orchard and The Master Builder both directed by Colin McColl. Justin has toured Indian Ink's critically-acclaimed Mrs Krishnan's Party throughout the United States and Canada multiple times, clocking up over 250 performances. Justin stars in Indian Ink’s newest show Dirty Work, currently touring New Zealand. Justin has also featured in films and on screen in productions The Light Between Oceans and The Magic Show. Recently, he lent his voice to the Disney Reo Māori re-dubbing as Timon in The Lion King, Oaken in Frozen and Coco: Reo Māori. 

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Bronwyn Ensor: Marie and Lady 1

Bronwyn Ensor is an actor originally from Wellington. She studied at John Bolton Theatre School in Melbourne in 2015, studying clown, mask and bouffant, and then graduated from The Actors' Program in 2016. Bronwyn was Awarded Outstanding Newcomer in the Auckland Theatre Awards in 2017. A big lover of theatre, her most recent professional productions include Basement's 2022 Christmas show Sleigh!, playing 'Masha' for Auckland Theatre Company's online version of The Seagull by Eleanor Bishop and Eli Kent, and playing Moira in Auckland Theatre Company's Boys directed by Julia Croft and Eleanor Bishop. Bronwyn performed in the 2018 gender-reversed production of Julius Caesar at the Pop-Up Globe directed by Rita Stone, playing Casca and other roles with complex fight choreography. Her latest theatre role was performing in Champions directed by Harriett Maire and written by Isabella McDermott. Bronwyn has also featured on screen in The Brokenwood Mysteries and webinar series Oddly Even, winner of TVNZ's New Blood Web Series Competition 2017.

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Clementine Mills: Isabelle and Lady 2

Originally from the UK, Clementine Mills is a graduate from Sydney's Actors Centre Australia. She has over 14 years' experience across theatre, film, and TV. Her career highlights include working with Sydney Theatre Company; National Youth Theatre in London; touring Measure for Measure and Hamlet in New Zealand and Australia with Pop-Up Globe, and playing Bec on the popular Australian series Starting From... Now! which has accrued over 100 million views online. In 2022 Clementine played Callie in the Embers Collective production of Stop Kiss, and Marian Halcombe in a UK national tour of The Woman in White. This year, she played Quinn Cox on Shortland Street, receiving excellent reviews for her endearing and moving performance.

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