Teachers
Your Teachers
All the tutors at Toi Whakaari are also practising professionals. All have worked extensively in theatre, film and television both nationally and internationally and bring this experience to bear in their teaching.
Jonathon Hendry
Head of Acting and Associate Director 
Jonathon is a graduate of Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. After periods on the Trust Board,Board of Studies and as a guest tutor he joined the staff of Toi Whakaari in July 2007. Now an Associate Director and Head of Acting, he established himself as an award winning actor before directing with ATC, Silo, Downstage, Circa, Centrepoint and BATS. He was Head of Acting at UNITEC 2004 - 2007 and has also taught at Massey and Victoria Universities, Wellington Conservatorium of Music, NZ College of Performing Arts and Wellington Performing Arts College (WPAC).
Jonathon is also an artistic fellow of Shakespeare’s Globe London. He has played many Shakespeare roles including Richard III, Macbeth, Iago, Jaques and Malvolio. Jonathon has taught Shakespeare workshops to students, teachers and professional actors around New Zealand. In 2007 he directed Dave Armstrong’s The Tutor for Auckland Theatre Company, which was followed by a national tour where he took over the role of Sellars. He also directed Othello for Downstage and The Cut at Silo. He collaborated with Dean Parker on the highly successful The Hollow Men, which premiered at BATS and then toured to Centrepoint, Circa and the Maidment theatre Auckland.
Jonathon has worked as an actor, script advisor and director in a many script development processes. He serves on the Trust Boards of the National Youth Drama School and Downstage Theatre.
Tom McCrory
Senior Tutor, Movement
Tom read drama at Bristol University before training for two years under Jacques Lecoq in Paris. His work in the UK was selected for and performed at many festivals including The British Festival of Visual Theatre, London, The National Review of Live Art, Glasgow and The Edinburgh Festival.
He has worked extensively as a Movement tutor at a variety of drama schools including The Young Vic, London; Bristol Old Vic Theatre; Rose Bruford Drama School; California State University, Fullerton and East.15 . Prior to leaving England Tom was Senior Movement Teacher at Mountview Drama School, London.
Tom, along with his wife, Nina Nawalowalo, is co founder of Wellington based Pacific Island visual theatre company The Conch, whose award winning show Vula toured nationally and internationally to festivals including The Sydney Opera House and the BITE season at London’s Barbican Centre.
Nathaniel Lees
Senior Tutor, Acting & Screen
A recent addition to the acting staff, Nathaniel has been an actor and director for almost 30 years. In this time he has acted in many productions both here in Aotearoa and internationally .As an award winning director, he has directed productions throughout Aotearoa and the Pacific including productions for the New Zealand International Arts Festival. His work in the film and television industry is well documented, from numerous NZ television series and productions to blockbusters such as The Matrix Trilogy and 30 Days of Night.
Nathaniel works with acting students on acting for stage and screen.
D’Arcy Smith
Senior Tutor, Voice & Speech
D’Arcy has worked extensively as an actor, teacher and voice and speech specialist in
Canada and the United States. A graduate of Toronto’s York University MFA program in Acting with an additional Diploma in Voice Coaching, he has taught at Wright State University in the USA, the Canadian National Voice Intensive in Vancouver, Canada, The Toronto Film School and at York University. He has also worked as voice, speech and dialect coach on numerous professional and departmental productions. He has studied with David Smukler (Master Linklater Teacher), Richard Armstrong (Roy Hart Theatre), Rocco Dal Vera, Louis Colaianni, Dudley Knight, Gillian Lane-Plescia, and Eric Armstrong, among others. He has acted professionally in Film, Television, Voice-Over and Theatre. He is a member of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association, and the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists.
Annie Ruth
Toi Whakaari Director and Acting Tutor
Annie has been Director of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School since 1997. She is also a professional director and actor, her solo show Dissident Voices, was performed at BATS Wellington and in Italy and the USA. Annie’s areas of specialist experience are Improvisation and ‘Viewpoints’ acting methodology, which she has developed through work with Keith Johnstone, Anne Bogart and Tina Landau, as well as with international practitioners at LaMaMa, Italy. This experience forms the basis for her current PhD research. She has taught in top drama schools and international Masterclasses in Europe and USA.
In 2009 Annie worked for UNESCO International Theatre Institute in Romania and Germany, devised a work, Tapu Toru, to take to the Shanghai UNESCO ITI Festival and was funded by CNZ to do an exploratory workshop that included the dancer and choreographer, Michael Parmenter. Annie teaches acting, improvisation and directing at Toi Whakaari. This year she is directing Marat/Sade for the School, opening in August.
Christian Penny
Associate Director and Head of Directing
A former student of Phillipe Gaulier, Christian is recognised as one of this country's boldest theatre directors. A co- founder of Theatre at Large, Christian's major professional productions include: King Lear, Cyrano de Bergerac and New NZ work Manawa Taua/Savage Heart, The Butcher's Wife, the national and international tour of Woman Far Walking, Hamlet with Michael Hurst and most recently The Trial of the Cannibal Dog for the 2008 NZ International Arts Festival.
Teina Moetara
Context & Practice Senior Tutor
Ko Whiria te Maunga, Ko Te Hokianga te Moana, Ko Pakanae te Marae, Ko Ngati Korokoro te Hapu, Ko Nga Puhi te Iwi.
Ko Manawaru te Maunga, Ko Te Arai te Awa, Ko Manutuke te Marae, Ko Ngati Kaipoho, Ngai Tawhiri nga Hapu, Ko Rongowhakaata te Iwi.
Born and bred in the world of ‘Maori’ Performing Arts, Teina hails from Manutuke, Turanganui-A-Kiwa (Gisborne). A performing member of the internationally recognized Waihirere Maori Club for over 20 years, many of them as a core composer, Teina has since moved on, becoming co-founder and tutor of Tu te Manawa Maurea Kapa Haka.
Whilst assistant principal and head of the immersion unit at Manutuke Primary School, Teina was offered a role in Disney’s theatrical production of The Lion King in Sydney, Melbourne and Shanghai. It was here he became interested in translating forms of the performance across different theatrical contexts. He has since co-directed and performed in a number of shows using tikanga marae frameworks to hold, challenge, support and innovate the creative process, including Manawa Pou, Pakiwaitara and The Trial of the Cannibal Dog for NZ International Arts Festival.
Jade Eriksen
Context & Practice Senior Tutor
Jade grew up in Gisborne, Tairawhiti, of Greek, Irish, Scottish and Danish descent. Since completing a Master of Theatre Arts - Directing from Toi Whakaari/Victoria University, her interest in the area of intercultural politics, identity and composition have led her to work mainly within the devised theatrical form. Jade has directed and devised award winning collaborative works including Yatra, Stamping Grounds, Migrant Nation, arcane (with her company theatreheuristic) and co-directed
Penumbra for AK07 Festival. She currently teaches in devised composition at Victoria University as well as at Toi Whakaari.
Annabelle o'meara
Acting Department Manager
Annabelle joined Toi Whakaari in 2003 after moving to Wellington from Central Otago. She has a background in journalism, research and project management.
Visiting Tutors
Toi Whakaari also has regular guest teachers in acting for stage and screen, professional development, Alexander technique, voice, singing, yoga, Laban, script writing, text analysis, combat choreography, mask, percussion, improvisation, contracts and tax, camera work, radio voice, Mana Wahine, history, theory and philosophy of theatre, dance and Taha Maori.
Throughout the year Toi Whakaari brings in specialist national and international guest tutors and lecturers.
