Kaimahi with Cool Hobbies—Bronwyn Wallace

Photo: Bronwyn (right) and collaborator Marea (left) preparing for a performance in Wellington. Photographer Katy Lockwood.

Bronwyn Wallace (Events & Operations Coordinator) is passionate about theatre.

Bronwyn began taking drama classes as a kid, where like most drama students, she spent time acting. But she discovered her true calling as a behind-the-scenes jack-of-all-trades at age 17 when she produced a youth theatre festival and received mentoring from theatre professionals.

“That’s when I realised that you could make a career of theatre without being on the stage,” Bronwyn says.

At university, Bronwyn studied theatre and gender studies, and through her theatre studies tried her hand at lots of different things, including lighting design, costuming, scriptwriting, playwriting and directing.

“I love playwriting,” Bronwyn enthuses. “I discovered that plays are the format for me.”

Bronwyn, along with collaborator Marea Colombo, formed a Dunedin-based theatre company called Late Bloomers. Together the pair have produced a number of award-winning shows. The pair are known for using humour to explore deep issues, always with a progressive and inclusive angle. 

“I used to do the Audio Descriptions at the Fortune Theatre for blind and low-vision patrons. That's where I learnt about Arts Access. We design all of our shows with access in mind. We will only use accessible venues, and every performance is a 'Relaxed Performance' - meaning audience members are invited to enjoy the performance in a way that feels relaxing for them. We’re also doing a touch tour for our upcoming show, which allows blind or low-vision audience members to feel the set and props and meet the actors before the show to provide context.”

The upcoming show, Gaslight Me, is being staged for the third time in Ōtepoti Dunedin. This time, Late Bloomers are fundraising to take the show to Adelaide Fringe next year.

“Adelaide Fringe is the largest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere,” Bronwyn explains. “It’s the second biggest fringe festival in the world after Edinburgh. It’s a big deal to get there, especially as a small theatre company from the South Island.”

Along with cowriting, directing and producing Gaslight Me, Bronwyn is also currently involved with Improsaurus, Dunedin’s improv comedy troupe, and is also directing a play for the upcoming Ōtepoti Theatre Lab season, a play which happens to be written by fellow Otago Polytechnic kaimahi Patty Klinpibul.

“I am always busy with theatre. If I’m not at work, I’m doing theatre.”

Gaslight Me is showing at Te Whare o Rukutia on October 19^th and 20^th. Tickets are available here, and funds raised will help take the show to Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Kaimahi with Cool Hobbies is a new ongoing series to celebrate the awesome things you didn’t know about your colleagues. If you are a kaimahi with a cool hobby and would like to be featured in an upcoming article, please contact Claire at claire.lacey@op.ac.nz