Miranda Harcourt Reveals the Comedy of Life

Media Release: August 2nd 2010

Miranda Harcourt Reveals the Comedy of Life
BIOGRAPHY OF MY SKIN
Presented in association with STAMP at THE EDGE
Written by Stuart McKenzie. Directed by Tim Spite

Once in a blue moon a show raises your spirits with the magic of real life. Much loved actress Miranda Harcourt’s BIOGRAPHY OF MY SKIN makes a whistle-stop tour of the North Island, making its Auckland debut at the Concert Chamber, Town Hall, THE EDGE from September 21st.

Set against an 80s and 90s soundtrack — and a backdrop of traffic violations, the ’81 Springbok tour, hand-made skin lotion, GLOSS, Princess Di and true crime — BIOGRAPHY traces the role of a lifetime through four decades we’ll never forget.

BIOGRAPHY OF MY SKIN premiered at Wellington’s Downstage Theatre in 2009 and was brought back by popular demand for a sold out return season earlier this year. The multi-platform show was a critical and commercial hit, earning Miranda Harcourt the “Outstanding Female Performance” award and Tim Spite the “Best Director” award at the Chapman Tripp Awards 2009.

It is not often I leave the theatre examining my own life. It is done so well… flawlessly… fantastic, hilarious and poignant. — Mark Westerby, RNZ Arts on Sunday

Written by husband Stuart McKenzie, BIOGRAPHY is a comedy about love, marriage and growing up. What starts as a solo show is soon anything but, as people from Miranda’s life pop up unexpectedly to claim their side of the story.

Miranda Harcourt is one of New Zealand's best-known actors, an acclaimed theatre director and acting coach for some of the best in the business. After graduating from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, Miranda gained national attention in the watershed television production GLOSS. Miranda is the winner of many awards and accolades for her work. In 2002 she was awarded an ONZM for her work in theatre and the community.

Harcourt has gone on to produce and tour, alongside her husband Stuart McKenzie, Verbatim, Touch and Go (co-written by William Brandt), Portraits and Flowers From My Mother’s Garden. Harcourt was Head of Acting for seven years at Toi Whakaari and has mentored a number of younger performers, including AnnaSophia Robb’s Critics Choice “Best Young Actress” winning performance in Bridge to Terabitha. Miranda now works nationally and internationally as an acting coach for film and television. Miranda has just returned from Hawaii where she again coached AnnaSophia Robb in Sean McNamara’s upcoming surf chick-flick SOUL SURFER.

Stuart McKenzie’s career started as an actor and writer for Christchurch’s Free Theatre. His plays include the acclaimed True, Portraits, Flowers from My Mother’s Garden (published by Penguin Books) and Double Beat. In 2000 he was named the Bruce Mason Sunday Star-Times Playwriting Fellow. His short films have won awards and his feature film For Good (with Miranda Harcourt, Michelle Langstone and Tim Balme), had its international premiere at the 2003 Montreal Film Festival and was selected for competition at the 2004 Paris Film Festival. Stuart conceived and directed the 10-part observational documentary series Tough Act for TV2, about students training at Toi Whakaari: the NZ Drama School.

Winner of fourteen Chapman Tripp Theatre awards including “Best Director” for the recent production of Paua, Tim Spite has co-written fourteen plays, eight of which created by his group The SEEyD Theatre Company.

It is funny, insightful, shocking, poignant, extraordinarily personal and finally generous. A gift. Not to be missed.—John Smythe, Theatreview

Biography Of My Skin plays
September 21st – 25th
Tuesday and Wednesday @7pm. Thursday – Saturday @8pm. Saturday Matinee 2.30pm
Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall, THE EDGE
Tickets: $39.90 full and $34.90 concession (Service fees apply)
Bookings through THE EDGE: www.buytickets.co.nz or 0800 BUY TICKETS.

ENDS

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