Meet the Makers: Laura Hill and Stephen Butterworth

Published: Thursday 31 October 2024

 

In this edition of Meet the Makers we talk to Laura Hill and Stephen Butterworth the two leads in Plumb Theatre, supported by Auckland Live’s  A Doll’s House, Part 2. Read on to learn about their inspiration, motivation and what you can expect from A Doll’s House, Part 2.

 

LAURA HILL

Nora

Introduce yourself and your arts practice
My name is Laura Hill and I’m an actor and a writer.

 

What’s your favourite thing about what you do?
I love creative, collaborative problem-solving. And theatre.

 

What is the hardest thing about what you do?
The uncertainty of not knowing what the next job will be and when it will come.

 

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Take the work seriously, but not yourself.

 

What’s the best show you’ve seen this year? 
Tough call. I loved these solo shows by some fantastic women: For Me to Know and You to Find Out by Liv Tennet; Nicola Cheeseman is Back (by Kathryn Burnett, with Jodie Rimmer); and Scattergun: After the Death of Rūaumoko by Ana Chaya Scotney.

 

Who are your favourite artists/theatre companies/musicians etc. and why?
Locally: Red Leap for physical theatre. Nightsong for whimsical theatre magic and poignancy. Basement for fostering new artists.

 

Tell us about the show
It’s a bold imagining of what might happen when Nora, one of theatre’s most iconic characters, has to come back and face the consequences of walking out on her husband and children 15 years ago.

 

What can audiences expect from A Doll’s House, Part 2?
Thought-provoking theatre leavened with comedy. And fantastic costumes.

 

STEPHEN BUTTERWORTH

Torvald

Introduce yourself and your arts practice. 
Kia Ora. Stephen Butterworth is my name but my friends call me butters. I have been acting performing singing dancing from everything from Shakespeare to modern Maori plays and musicals. Some might say that I had Little other option other than to become a performer because that’s all I wanted to do since I was two years old

 

What’s your favourite thing about you do? 
My favourite thing about what I do is that there is never ending amount of situations and knowledge and skills and texts to encounter and confront. and making those become part of my school set part of confronting that challenge is part of the excitement and the thrill that always keeps it alive.

 

What’s the hardest thing about what you do? 
The hardest thing about what I do is managing a financial security with only working within the performing arts. unlike Norway or other more wealthy countries artists are regarded highly where you might work for a professional company for only five years and you are on a retainer or a retirement plan for the rest of your life unfortunately that does not happen in NZ.

 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? 
The best advice I received was always to follow my dreams, but that is what makes life worth living.

 

What’s the best show you’ve seen this year? 
The best show I’ve seen this year was Hone Kouka’s Nga Rorirori. His latest work.

 

Who are your favourite artists/theatre companies/musicians etc. and why? 
My favourite artists are people like Helen Mirren Sigourney Weaver Mark Rylance, George Henare and Benedict Cumberbatch. Theatre companies I love are Phillipe genty,  Red Leap and Pop Up Glope season 1 and 2.

 

Tell us about the show
A Doll's House, Part 2 is really the extension of the discussion on the complications and complexities around the break up of a marriage. Marriage these days is a contentious issue where people perhaps or goaded or resolute to do for the benefits that society places on it. Essentially is it about two people who have broken up and leaves the audience wavering between both or all 4 characters arguments four points of view

 

What can audiences expect from A Doll’s House Part 2?
The audience can expect exceptional presentation and all manner of technical production and without sounding like I’m blowing my own trumpet some top notch performances. I think in these times it’s quite assuring and comforting to go back to a classical style of top-notch performance and that is guaranteed in this production.

Intrigued? Book your tickets now!


Be the first to know about live events in Auckland!