What do you get when you mix two ambitious lecturers in film studies – one specialising in romantic comedy and the other in monster movies? 'When Harry Met Sally' on steroids! 'Mike and Virginia' is a romantic comedy about a romantic comedy, a funny, fast-moving romp from two of New Zealand’s busiest writers.
Kathryn Burnett grew up in Devonport and Bayswater. She penned last year’s sold-out comedy hit 'The Campervan' and is an award-winning screenwriter and playwright who has written for 'The Brokenwood Mysteries', 'Under The Vines', 'My Life is Murder' and 'Fresh Eggs'. With a writing career spanning more than 25years, she was recently nominated for a New Zealand Adam New Play Award and was a co-winner of Best Script Drama at the 2021 NZTV Awards for her work on 'The Tender Trap'. For 'Mike and Virginia' Kathryn joined forces with award-winning screen writer Nick Ward ('Stickmen', 'Second Hand Wedding', 'Fresh Eggs', 'Outrageous Fortune', 'Westside', 'The Brokenwood Mysteries', 'Under The Vines', 'Bird’s Eye View', 'Wellington Paranormal') to subvert every romantic comedy convention in the book and create a smart love story with a twist.
Directed by the ever-inventive Simon Prast, Mike and Virginia are played by theatre favourites Andrew Grainger and Laura Hill. Andrew has been a constant on screen and stage in the UK and New Zealand since the 1980s, with an impressive variety of wide ranging credits including 'The Brokenwood Mysteries', 'Outrageous Fortune', 'Billy Elliot The Musical', 'Anne Boleyn', 'The Campervan', and the recent NZ Opera production of 'The Unruly Tourists'. Laura is perhaps best known for her role as Toni Thompson on 'Shortland Street', but her experience covers TV ('Go Girls', 'Nothing Trivial', 'Westside', 'The Brokenwood Mysteries') and stage productions around New Zealand, performing at Centrepoint, Fortune, Circa, Court and Auckland Theatre Company.
Three supporting characters in 'Mike and Virginia' are created by Stephen Papps, Jodie Rimmer and Muna Arbon. Stephen has over three decades of experience acting in theatre, television and film ('The End of the Golden Weather,' 'The Piano', 'King Lear' and for Tadpole, 'Heroes'). Jodie ‘grew up’ on The PumpHouse stage and is thrilled to be back, as well as working with Kathryn again (The Strip). Muna has been an actor and an art director on various tv productions ('Shortland Street', 'The Brokenwood Mysteries') as well as performing in many different stage roles. The combined talents of this terrific cast makes for a most entertaining show, recommended for those over 16 years as the play contains adult themes.
Mike and Virginia is on stage at the historic PumpHouse Theatre in Takapuna for a strictly limited season, from 31 August to 10 September.
The old adage of “book early to avoid disappointment” applies! Phone 09-489-8360 or visit: www.pumphouse.co.nz
