MEET THE FOOLS

Melissa is an actor, circus artist and educator. She teaches Movement in the Unitec acting programme, is the Live Events Manager at Human Agency and an aerial circus instructor. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Acting from Unitec and received First Class Honors for her Master of Creative Practice degree in 2018 which researched devising methodologies for physical theatre. She was the 2019 recipient of Unitec’s Bold Innovators Scholarship and also travelled to Italy that year to attend the Master of Commedia dell’arte in where she completed a three week Masterclass in Commedia and worked with international tutors such as Claudia Contin Arlecchino. Since graduating drama school, Mel has performed professionally in a diverse array of circus, cabaret and festival settings. She has performed as an actor, clown and aerial artist for events such as the Auckland Cabaret Festival, Luma Festival Queenstown, Auckland Fringe Festival, Shipwrecked Festival and Splore Festival. Memorable moments for Melissa have been working with Auckland Theatre Company on their Storyworlds Project in schools, performing in the CNZ funded, touring show Minema and touring The Wedding throughout Aotearoa. Melissa also works in the community activations art space and has enjoyed performing as an actor and acrobat on several council projects as well as recently creating an educational childrens show with company member Gerorgie which received Auckland Council funding to tour Tāmaki Makaura primary schools in late 2023.

Aaron graduated from Unitec with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts in Acting. His most notable acting appearances since graduating drama school have been ‘Twelfth Night’ and ‘Romeo & Juliet’ at the Pop-Up Globe (2016), ‘As You Like It’ at Auckland Uni’s Summer Shakespeare (2018) and Chinese Language film ‘Only Cloud Knows’ (2019). He was awarded best actor for his work on ‘inhospitable’ at the 2018 Short + Sweet Festival. Inhospitable went on to have a full length season at Basement theatre in 2021, enjoying rave reviews. As a writer his first play ‘Paper Planes’ was performed at the Basement Theatre to a sellout season (2018). He has written three full length plays and works as a writer for Shortland Street. Aaron has also spent time studying Shakespeare at the Globe theatre in London, along with travelling to Bali in 2016 to study Topeng Pajegan. He also currently works as the assistant accountant at Q Theatre in Auckland.

Georgie graduated from Unitec’s School of Performing and Screen Arts (Acting) in 2016. After drama school, Georgie then completed a 20 week circus training mentorship program with React Studio in 2020, and takes regular Screen Acting classes with Katie Stetson. Since then, Georgie has been a core member involved in devising and acting in A Fool’s Company original shows. As well as their work within A Fool’s Company, from 2021 onwards Georgie has collaborated with Shift Aotearoa physical theatre company on their project Performance Town, funded by the (Albert-Eden local Board) and CNZ Funded project Minema, which has been performed at Auckland Fringe and Auckland Cabaret Festival 2022 as well as a stand alone event funded by Whau local board 2023 and at Spore Festival 2023. In 2021 Georgie began collaborating with Katie Burson and Beth Kayes (Co.Theatre Physical), working with them on their installation/roaming art projects Road Cones (Funded by Albert-Eden Local Board in 2022 and 2023) and on their touring children’s theatre show Drama Gone Viral. In 2022 Georgie performed in the successful Basement season of Chrome Dome and Schizo, written by and featuring performance poet Dan Goodwin, was part of the CNZ funded visual dance album Turbulent Kingdoms (created by Kit Reilly) as an actor and dancer, and co starred in the short LGBTQ+ film Cherry, directed by John Dichi, which received special mentions at international short film festivals. In 2023, Georgie continues their work with A Fool's Company and will be co starring in the music video album Trust Issues. As an actor, they love work that is highly physical and often works on projects involving elements of clowning, circus, physical theatre and absurd. They love working on projects that are equally comedic and emotional. As a non-binary queer actor, they are passionate about queer storytelling and collaboration in all aspects of art.

Grace graduated from Unitec in 2015 with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts majoring in Acting. In 2015, she travelled to Shanghai where she studied Peking Opera, and in 2016 she studied Topeng Pajegan in Ubud, Bali with partner and Le Lion co-star Aaron Richardson. Since then she has created and performed in numerous theatre productions including both sell out seasons of ‘Flaps’ at Basement Theatre and ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ at the Pop Up Globe. Grace has also worked extensively as a director for theatre, specialising in directing devised shows. Some of her most notable works include ‘Fleshies’, ‘Heatwave’ and ‘The Wedding’. She was an assistant director for Auckland Theatre Company’s youth show ‘Fleshies 2.0’ in 2020 that same year, she co-directed ATC’s summer school show ‘Dreams’. Grace is a quintessential Auguste clown - the eternal child. She also currently works as a drama teacher at Mount Albert Grammar school, having gained her Grad Dip in Teaching (Secondary) in 2021.

Charlie is a Producer in Auckland’s theatre scene. By day she is an Account Manager with NZ based ticketing agency iTICKET, work which feeds her passion for theatre and live events, and skills which have evolved to producing independent theatre. Charlie’s first producing credit was the incredibly successful development season of ‘Take The Crown’ with The Others Club (Basement Theatre, 2020). Following this, she co-produced the critically acclaimed Auckland Fringe Festival season of ‘Godzonia’ by Georgie Oulton (Q Theatre, 2021), and most recently Massive Theatre Company’s Emerging Artist Production ‘Heart go…BOOM!’ (Basement Theatre, 2023). Charlie joined A Fool’s Company in 2021 to produce their devised physical theatre work ‘The Wedding’. In her work, Charlie strives to support emerging creative voices, like hers, in being able to step forward and present their stories to New Zealand audiences and beyond.

Emily Hurley has a multi-disciplinary practice that includes art, puppetry, acting and devising theatre. She graduated with a Bachelor of performing and screen arts from Unitec in 2018 and since then she has been working as an actor/maker. She co – directed the ATC summer school show ‘Dreams’ alongside Grace Augustine early in 2020. Other notable works include ‘Lunar State’, ‘Watch Party’, ‘HEATWAVE’ and ‘The Judas Sheep’. ‘The Judas Sheep’ was created during Emily’s year-long residency at studio One Toi Tū. Emily has completed multiple physical theatre intensives and has recently started making puppets, she travelled to Argentina to study pupper making under legendary puppet maker Alfredo Iriarte. She has recently begun creating puppets for theatre, such as an illuminated swan for ‘Paradise Island’ and a giant man for ‘A Stab in the dark’ (Nightsong). Emily also frequently works as an art assistant for Kate Parker (co-founder of Red Leap).

Kyle Shields has been working in and around theatre since graduating from Unitec with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts in 2016. He is a passionate actor who excels at creating memorable and layered characters and particularly enjoys devised theatre. Audiences have described Kyle’s work as hilarious and relatable and he is known for his witty enthusiasm in the rehearsal room. Notable performances include ‘Tupper/Kyle’ in ATC’s 2017 reimagining of Foreskins Lament “BOYS,” ‘Graham Cracker’ in “Judge, Jury and Cookie Monster” at Q Theatre, and a spell as ‘Duffy’ in 2020’s 11 month national tour of Primary Schools “Duffy Meets a Coggen,” as part of Duffy Books in Homes. Kyle has been a valued member of A Fool’s Company for the rehearsal and development of ‘The Wedding’ which premiered in 2022.