Mum’s Vege Patch Development Season

Written by Amalia Calder

Directed by Rachel Lenart

A profound slice of life.

Mum’s Vege Patch explores the relationship between 3 sisters, their Mum, and the things we grow inside us. Have we done enough weeding to sustain what we’ve planted?

A dark comedy about a funeral and literally losing Mum’s ashes.

Rachel Lenart is an award-winning director, producer, designer, dramaturg, and educator. Rachel’s work has played at BATS, Circa, Downstage, Centrepoint and Darwin Festival. Rachel is also a critically acclaimed lighting designer, for dance companies and theatre productions. Deeply invested in arts accessibility and participation, trauma responsive and neurodivergent practice and leadership, and amplifying voices for inclusive representation and artistic participation, Rachel is also creative producer and co-artistic director for Manawatū Summer Shakespeare.

Erina Daniels (Ngāti Wai) is a freelance actor, director, and producer with a BA in Acting and MA in directing from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. She has collaborated on songs for Hinepau (Capital E); as a vocalist in the Taonga Puoro ensemble Reo led by Charles Royal; Miria George's And What Remains; Albert Belz's Yours Truly; workshopping and then later directing Mitch Tawhi Thomas's Hui; short film Day Trip; acting alongside her brother and sis-in-law in Run Rabbit (NZIFF NZ's Best 2018); directing the 2018 Te Reo Maori tour of Hine Kihawai to Kura Kaupapa for Taki Rua Theatre.

Bronwyn Turei (Ngāti Porou) has performed with theatre companies across the country including Little Shop of Horrors and Shortland Street The Musical (Auckland Theatre Company); Hemo Is Home and Raising The Titanics (Te Pou Theatre); Prison Songs (Darwin Festival); Little Black Bitch (Tuatara Collective); La Casa Azul, Jack and the Beanstalk, Three Days in the Country, Weed, The Father, Peter Pan, The Lie, Modern Girls in Bed, Rants in the Dark, Paper Shaper, PSA, Surprise Party, Cinderella, Elling, Treasure Island (Circa Theatre); School Dance (Centrepoint Theatre); and The Valentina (Rebel Theatre Company). Her on screen credits include Go Girls, Dirty Laundry, Brokenwood Mysteries, Awkward Love, The Bad Seed, The Tender Trap, The Gone and most recently End Of The Valley. She is also a recorded singer/songwriter.

Gareth Tiopira-Waaka (Te Arawa , Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tainui) has a Bachelor of Performing Arts from Toi Whaakari. A Dad, based in Porirua he has 20-year history of performance in drama and dance. Gareth is known for his roles in TV shows including Outrageous Fortune, Jaquie Brown Diaries and Korero Mai, and in films such as Apron Strings and Matariki. He played multiple characters for KidzStuff Theatre’s sold-out season of Badjelly The Witch, Jessica Bo Peep and The Man Whose Mother was a Pirate. Recently he appeared in a sold-out season of ScriptProv at BATS Theatre, in addition to working as presenter and interpreter on projects with RNZB, NZSO and Orchestra Wellington.

Amalia Calder is a freelance actor and graduate of UCOL Theatre School. She is also a playwright, director, singer-songwriter, producer and Mum who is based on the Kapiti Coast. Currently the creative director of Wellington’s KidzStuff Theatre For Children, Amalia has 25+ year’s experience in the industry. Her highlights include playing Badjelly The Witch for KidzStuff, award-winning The Frogs Under the Waterfront, a sell out Melbourne season of Death by Chocolate, James Cameron’s Avatar, Gibson Group’s The Insiders Guide to Love, and her critically acclaimed show Rain at BATS.

Quotes about previous productions written by Amalia Calder:

“This new Calder play is delivered with mystery, drama and a touch of poignant comedy.”

John Smythe, Theatreview

“The characters and their situations are real and believable making this a fascinating piece of theatre...”

Ewen Coleman, Dominion Post

Thursday 25th to Saturday 27th April 2024

BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Wellington

6:30pm shows

Waged: $25, Unwaged: $15

Bookings: www.bats.co.nz

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