The Owl & the Pussy-Cat Come To Auckland

Join the Owl and the Pussy-Cat on their wonderful and magical journey to the Land where the Bong Tree grows. With music, songs and some very funny characters, Tim Bray Productions brings this quirky poem of Edward Lear to life.

‘The Owl & the Pussy-Cat’ opens at The PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna, Auckland on July 5 for a weeklong season during the school holidays.

Presented by veteran children’s theatre writer and actor Tim Bray, The Owl & The Pussy-Cat heralds the long-awaited return of professional children’s theatre in Auckland.

A highlight of the season will be a Gala Opening Performance on Sunday 4 July at 5.30pm. “As adults we enjoy dressing up for opening nights,” Tim says. “We want to give the children a chance to dress up and experience their own opening ‘night’ at the theatre.”

Another highlight is a special performance where New Zealand Sign Language interpreters will be part of the show, so that deaf and hearing impaired children and their families can also enjoy the magic of live theatre. The interpreters are from Kelston Deaf Education Centre and have been kindly sponsored by the Takapuna North Rotary Club.

The PumpHouse Theatre is located in a beautiful historic building next to Lake Pupuke, Takapuna and is an ideal spot for a picnic lunch, or grab something to eat at the café. Plus there’s free parking.

Performance times vary with some early evening shows to cater for working parents and caregivers.

“We want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy the fun of live children’s theatre,” Tim says. The Owl & the Pussy-Cat’ is the first of four professional shows that Tim Bray Productions is presenting in 2004. Also at The PumpHouse is ‘Mahy Magic’ in the September school holidays and ‘The Santa Claus Show’ for the Christmas season. ‘Foibles’, a solo show for the grown-ups at the Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE® will be staged in September.

‘The Owl & the Pussy-Cat’ is a remake of the original 1992 production staged by Tim Bray at The Central Theatre, Auckland where The SiLo Theatre now stands.

Tim Bray is a 40-year-old actor/playwright who has been creating his own style of theatre productions in Auckland for more than 13 years.

He was the founder of The Central Theatre which produced such classic and diverse shows such as ‘The Nice Show’, a lovely and very nice cabaret starring Lisa Chappell and the late Kevin Smith, a musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘The Twits’ at The Herald Theatre, and the funny and fabulous ‘Ponsonby Road’.

He has written and performed two solo shows, ‘Me and My Vice’, which toured to the Gilded Balloon at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1998, and ‘The Last Laugh’. He co-wrote and starred in the comedy play, ‘Ponsonby Road’.

As well as his adult shows, he has a passion for creating theatre for children and has written seven plays for children (three original and four adaptations) and co-written four children’s plays. Tim was also for many years performed as Basil Fawlty with his ‘Fawlty Towers’ team, which has performed throughout New Zealand and, incredibly, had five tours to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

Tim’s screen and TV credits include Lofty in ‘Chunuk Bair’, and roles in ‘Her Majesty’, ‘Gloss’, ‘Shortland Street’, ‘Cleopatra 2525’, ‘Mother Tongue’ and ‘Marlin Bay’. The Owl & The Pussy-Cat is at The PumpHouse Theatre, Killarney Park, Takapuna, Auckland from 5-10 July. To book, phone (09) 489-8360 or online at http://www.pumphouse.co.nz. Family concessions available.

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