How the Magic Happens
Meet The Team
Sarah Burren
Creative Director / Puppet Creator
Sarah spent many of her formative years in Suva, Fiji. Her parents created sets, costumes and props for the Fiji Arts Club, fuelling her love of life, in theatre, from 8 years of age.
Sarah’s work, draws on a treasure trove of global experiences. Based in London and Toronto from 1980-1995, she designed and created costumes for numerous TV commercials and theatre shows, from musicals to fringe and burlesque, to pantomime and puppetry. In London, she created couture garments for a range of celebrities, including Princess Diana and costumes for rock stars and celebrities, including Basil Brush. Her own label in Toronto, opened doors for stints in, New York, Boston, Montreal and Ottawa showcasing, her unique talent.
She has been a major player in Auckland’s creative sector since 1995, with concepts, produced for Theatre, TV, Film and spectacular live events. A few highlights include America’s Cup Ball, Volvo Ocean Race, Sky City Opening and Rugby World Cup 2011, where her concept of Junior was realised, a 5metre, walking marionette puppet!
She has designed sets, costumes and props for over 50 children’s shows and created Bobby the police dog. Bobby has been seen live, by over 600,000 NZ children.
Sarah's GLOW SHOW concept was a dream realised 10 years ago, and has been her main passion since. Each puppet is hand made by Sarah and a team in Orewa at GLOrewa, the
base of the Glow Shows.
“Each puppet, only comes to life, when our incredible team of cast and crew, make that happen. We are thrilled to be bringing BADJELLY the WITCH GLOW SHOW to children
and families over Aotearoa, to celebrate the 50th year since Spike Milligan wrote the book.
“GLOW SHOWS ignite creativity leaving a long-lasting, positive impact with our audiences.”
Jarred Tito
Director
Jarred has had a love of theatre and film for many years and had his first experience of writing, producing, directing and performing in a show at the age of 17. The show was well received by an audience of around 200 people and gave Jarred the passion and early experience which played a vital part in developing his theatrical craft.
Jarred has worked in Drama for the past 20 years. Employment includes; Head of Performing Arts
(London, England), Drama Lecturer for the Performing Arts Degree (MIT), and Specialist Drama Teacher (Pt. Chev School, Pomaria Road School). “One of the most enjoyable and rewarding directorial projects in theatre that I ever worked on was Romeo and Juliet. The cast was largely made up of teenagers, Maori and Polynesian, from South Auckland. It was a real challenge from the onset. I remember sitting down with the cast and interpreting the Elizabethan language with them. Though the journey was hard, the final product and performance was outstanding.
I’m so happy to be working with Sarah and the Glow Show as we both share a love for kids’ theatre. Sarah and I have known each other coming up to 20 years this year. We first met in 2004 when I was acting in kids’ shows for the Little Theatre Company. Sarah was the Creative Producer and Head of Wardrobe. We hit it off straight away. We share a love for comedy especially ‘wacky and out there’ stuff. When I found out that Sarah had got the rights to perform Spike Mulligan’s ‘Badjelly the Witch’ I was excited. Spike is one of my all-time favourite comedians. So, when Sarah approached me about directing the show I was like, yes! Very elated. Two thumbs up!”
Midge Perez
Musical Director
Midge brings years of experience as a performer, producer, writer and director for stage, film & television.
Since receiving a scholarship to study music at a Hawaiian University, Midge has gone on to perform in a number of television, film, and theatre productions having toured with the cast of Taiki E, Te Rakau Hua o te wao tapu and the stage adaptation of Once were warriors, directed by Jim Moriarty. Midge has worked both in front of, and behind the camera on numerous television series, corporate videos & TV commercials. He has worked alongside a number of high-profile companies & production houses both here & abroad and spent years managing talent in the film & TV industry before lecturing voice, music and acting on a bachelor of creative arts degree program. Midge has been involved in a number of Glow Show productions over the years and he is always excited to be working on new and creative works.
Alan Cochrane
Illustrator
After growing up in a small forestry town in the South Waikato, Alan managed to escape the abundance of fresh air, lack of rush hour, playing cow pat frisbee with his friends and wagging school to go skiing with his family by managing to sweet talk his way into A.U.T all the way up there in the big smoke. All so he could get a little piece of paper that read Bachelor of Graphic Design.
Amongst managing to squeeze out some half decent projects at uni, some OK-ish illustration skills and a work ethic that must’ve impressed the late, great, Brent Chambers - founder of one of New Zealand's foremost animation studios, Flux Animation Ltd, something must’ve clicked. Because for just shy of 20 years, and fresh out of uni, Alan pretty much became a part of the furniture at Flux! He also managed to climb those ladder rungs and look after some Head of Design stuff and Art Director-ish things there as well. After 18 years at Flux, the stars aligned in a different way and Alan set out into a new exciting freelance career. Working in the advertising /animation industry for over two decades now has sharpened Alan’s skills in illustration, character design, graphic design and storyboarding. With a wide range of styles kleptoed over the years, he can pretty much provide solutions to any illustration and design problems that are thrown his way. All of this so that he can keep playing cow pat frisbee and wagging school to go skiing with his friends and family!
Robert Hunte
Production Manager
Robert has been making theatre for 20 years. Graduating with Unitec’s Diploma in Performance Technology he started working as a Venue & Theatre Technician, quickly finding a home as a performance operator.
In 2011 Robert returned to Unitec to run the Diploma he trained with and roll out the Production Design & Management discipline of the Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts. During this time he also started to Production manage and would eventually leave Unitec to Production Manage for Auckland Theatre Company, and New Zealand Opera, amongst many others. Over time Robert has stepped into a technical producing role, focussing more on year-to-year logistics of season & production planning, budgeting, scheduling, and roll-out.
Kodez Kauri
Tour Manager / Sound Engineer
Kodez has been a part of the GlowShow for the past 6 years. Bringing years of invaluable experience to The GlowShow Company, Kodez is a seasoned audio engineer with a strong background in theatre production. His expertise in crafting immersive soundscapes has enhanced countless theatrical performances, bringing stories to life through meticulously designed audio elements.
In addition to his work in theatre, Kodez has established himself within the live music scene, both locally in New Zealand and across international borders. His diverse skill set and keen ear for detail have made him a sought-after professional in the industry, consistently delivering outstanding results that resonate with audiences worldwide. Whether behind the scenes in the theatre or concerts and festivals, Kodez's passion for audio and dedication to his craft shine through in every project he undertakes.
Deborah Fletcher
Assistant Stage Manager
Deborah Fletcher (she/her) is a freelance dance artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Deborah has worked in live performance since graduating from the University of Auckland Dance Studies (honours) programme in 2019, as a performer, choreographer, producer, and in production. Recently working with Tempo Dance Festival, Northern Dance Network, Dance Plant Collective, Yin-Chi Lee, and other independent artists. She is excited to take these skills and stage manage for the Glow Show in 2024! Deborah loves working with tamariki and has been teaching dance and creative workshops to young people for the last 6 years. She is thrilled to be part of the team bringing these stories to tamariki and their whānau all around Aotearoa.
Joshua Downs
Production Assistant
Joshua is a Auckland-based freelance theatre maker. He is co-founder of Seed Theatre Company, and though Seed he wrote/produced the original play Sunrise (funded by the Mental Health Foundation) for a sold-out debut season at the Pitt Street Theatre and an award-winning return season at Q Theatre as part of the Auckland Fringe Festival. His directing credits include Bat Boy, Singin’ in the Rain, Hello Dolly!, The Addams Family, Heathers, and A Chorus Line. He’s also worked as a production assistant for Nightsong and the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and as music director and production manager for various other projects. He’s currently serving as the NextGen Representative on the Musical Theatre New Zealand (MTNZ) executive committee, and as a member of the Youth Advisory Panel for Performing Arts & Young People Aotearoa (PAYPA).
Meet The Cast
Hamish Davies
Hamish is no stranger to the Glowshow after touring with the Matariki Glowshow in 2022 and the Wonderland Glowshow in 2021 (unfortunately cut short due to Covid-19). He is excited to join the team again for the classic story, Badjelly the Witch. Hamish has also worked with Tim Bray Theatre Company and featured on Shortland Street. Most recently, he performed in a multi-sensory show for people with disabilities with Glass Ceiling Arts Collective in Auckland Arts Festival, Hamilton Arts Festival and in small communities around Northland. Hamish is a graduate of Atlantic Acting School in New York City and has loved all the opportunities to use his skills through the variety of jobs he done. He loves coming back to the Glowshow as it offers the chance to play freely with voice work and build characters from sound. He hopes you enjoy the Glowshow experience!
Jaeden Lawrie
Since graduating from Unitec in 2019 with a Bachelor's in Performing and Screen Arts, Jaeden (Ngāti Ruanui) has performed three shows with Tim Bray Theatre Company (The Whale Rider, The Magic Faraway Tree and The Santa Claus Show 2024). His love of physical performance has informed his wonderfully colorful & silly character choices, providing endless entertainment for children. Improvisational mask work and comedic performances are a particular passion of his. Jaeden honed his skills as a videographer and editor, freelancing for various companies around Aotearoa and the world. As a tamaiti (child), he would make stop-motion Lego movies on his mum’s phone, unknowingly starting him on his creative journey at a very early age. His sights are set on combining his skills and efforts to develop his own creative work. While studying, Jaeden played various roles including the titular character of Romeo in Romeo & Juliet and Peneteu/Pentheus in Te Pakkhai, a Greek tragedy translated into reo Māori. Badjelly the Witch will be Jaeden’s first performance with the Glow Show
Eleanor Fletcher
Choreographer
Eleanor is a freelance dancer, choreographer and community worker. She specialises in contemporary dance but has a diverse genre background. She is well equipped in choreography, collaboration, teaching, performing and researching through her bachelor of Dance Studies degree at The University of Auckland. Eleanor is a creative artist who is passionate about communicating through movement and empowering young people through creativity. Through Eileen May Norris Scholarship, she was a participant in a 5-month intensive contemporary dance training with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel. She is involved in daily professional classes and projects within Tamaki Makaurau and is also a Te Reo student with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. She has had over 10 years of experience working with tamariki (children) and rangatahi (youth). She is a creative who takes delight in working within the creative arts industries as well as with communities.
Alex Myers
Alex is 26 years old and this is his first professional gig since he finished drama school at Unitec Last year. Alex is originally from Blackpool in the UK and has been in plays such as The General Inspector and King Lear as ensemble. His favourite thing to do is make people laugh.
Bella Robertson
Bella is of Samoan descent and was born and raised in Tāmaki Makaurau. She spent two years studying at PIPA – The Pacific Institute of Performing Arts then graduated with her Bachelor degree in Creative Arts at MIT in 2018. Her television credits include work with Tikilounge Productions (FRESH TV, Housiewives).
She has worked with the likes of Auckland Theatre company (Myth makers tour, Storyworlds) F.C.C in the Wellington season of Club Paradiso (Victor Rodger, Robbie Magasiva) and is a fourth time puppeteer in the Glowshow Tour 2024.
Terry Hooper
Terry Hooper, is a professional actor and director. He trained at the accredited Rose Bruford School of Speech and Drama in London. Terry’s New Zealand directing highlights include: Gary Henderson’s Peninsula, Not About Heroes, Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, My Cousin Rachel and performance art piece, Mother is a Daughter is a Mother. Acting highlights include Art, As You Like It, God of Carnage, Hamlet, Birthrights and the TVNZ show Custard’s World.
Terry is the Founder and Artistic Director for theatre company Crossfade Productions and currently works as an actor and tutor in Tāmaki Makaurau.
