Flippin’ Off Traditional Casting Standards

Flippin’ Norah
6.30pm, 14 - 16 March BATS Theatre
As part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival
www.bats.co.nz www.nzfringe.co.nz

The New Zealand Fringe Festival is traditionally a space where young 20-somethings cut their creative teeth, The Scene It Theatre Group are knocking that tradition on its head with their original show, Flippin’ Norah!.

The cast are an all-female force with all but one aged over 40; including 60+-year-old actor, Sue Reeves.

Flippin’ Norah! Originally devised by The Scene It Theatre Group for PlayFest 2016- a competition in which the group was challenged to create play in only 48 hours. Flippin’ Norah! was awarded Best Ensemble in the festival. The Scene It Theatre Group then spent the next two years developing it into a full length script for it’s premiere in this year’s New Zealand Fringe Festival in March.

Flippin’ Norah! explores a women’s life at the time of her death as the title character, Norah, looks back to determine if she was able to live the life that she wanted. The play also examines the changing roles of women as Norah lives through the 1940’s to the present day.

Norah is played by each of the five different cast members. This decision came from The Scene It Theatre Group’s realisation that every woman faces similar concerns and challenges throughout her life. “

No matter the age of the body, or the resistance she faces, there is a continuous narrative that portrays a woman’s life.” - Shirley Domb (Actor, Writer, The Scene It Theatre Group company member.)

The Scene It Theatre Group comprises of actor/writers, Shirley Domb, Susan Holt, and Annette Cochran. The Flippin’ Norah creative team includes Deborah Rea as Director, whose successful NZ Fringe Festival show Take Back the Hood toured nationally, and who is the director of the award-winning Wellington Young Actors youth theatre company. Joining the ensemble is newcomer Lauren O’Hara, an 18 year old who recently graduated from training in Rea’s programme and Sue Reeves a British expat who has appeared on Coronation Street.

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