Actor’s story now adds NZ honour
From the family so often referred to as ‘‘Wellington theatre royalty’’, it was fitting that Dame Miranda Harcourt was honoured at Government House with one of New Zealand’s highest awards.
Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro presented her with the Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit medal yesterday for her award-winning contributions to theatre and screen industries.
From the age of two, Dame Miranda has been in ‘‘the business’’, and over a 58-year career she has worked in screen and theatre as an actor, acting coach, producer, director and writer.
When her New Year’s honour was announced at the end of last year Dame Miranda said everyone in her family – from the 16-yearold, youngest daughter Davida, to the 95-year-old, Dame Kate – had a
strong social conscience, driven by story. ‘‘If you can use story as a tool to ignite an actor’s passion for telling a story, then the performance will lift.’’
At the time she said becoming a dame was a way to raise awareness of domestic violence in the country as ambassador of Women’s Refuge.
The investiture description of her achievements talked about how Dame Miranda applied her skills as a drama therapist within the New Zealand prison system. A
pioneer of verbatim theatre in the 1990s, alongside her husband Stuart McKenzie, she toured the acclaimed show Verbatim nationally and internationally to theatres, schools and prisons.
Dame Miranda was head of acting at Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School from 1998 to 2005 and now works globally with leading directors and actors.
In 2002 she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to theatre and the community.