Taranaki talents New Plymouth screaming fill Matilda roles out for another icecream van
All the roles in the New Plymouth Operatic Society’s upcoming production have been filled by actors, actresses and singers from all over Taranaki.
Matilda, the Musical opens at the TSB Showplace on July 7, and the final role was cast last week.
Justin ClintonGohdes (pictured), who is no newcomer to the society, will play headmistress Miss Trunchbull.
Clinton-Gohdes appeared as the Wizard in last year’s production of and as the Bishop in Les
for the society in 2018. The musical is based on Roald Dahl’s 1988 novel, which became more commonly known by the 1996 film, and tells the story of an extraordinary little girl with psychokinetic abilities and a vivid imagination.
Last month it was announced that three youngsters – Bella Roubos, 10, Layla O’Brien, 9, and Leah Gunson – would play the title character of Matilda Wormwood.
The rest of the cast are: Agatha Trunchbull, Justin ClintonGohdes; Miss Honey, Jess Stafford-Old; Mr Harry Wormwood, Shaun Murphy; Mrs Zinnia Wormwood, Krystal Leuthard;
Michael Wormwood, Keegan Pulman; Mrs Phelps, Donna Yeats; Rudolpho, Jesse Pearson; Bruce, Tommy Broadmore and Oliver Jull; Lavender, Hannah Armstrong and Olivia Moorhead; Amanda, Indi Pretty-Taylor and Arabella Thomson; Nigel, Luke Shaw and Lucas Jacobson; Tommy, Ben McNeil and Benji Tooley; Hortensia, Maggie Cleaver and Blakey StewardMcDonald; Eric, Milan Bhaskar and Angus O’Sullivan; Alice, Millie Ireland and Isla Moodie.
Adult ensemble: Mark Leuthard, Adrian Whelan, Levi King, David Liggett, Hannah Liggett, Lauren Luque, KatieRose Murphy, Meika WatsonBurrows, and Makayla Wells. Children’s choir: Max Armstrong, Paige Casey, Czeska Cottam, Neive Davison, Bryah Edwin, Martha-Rose Hagenson, Ruth Hagenson, Cohen Jacobson, Emma Jameson, Tula Maclean, Niamh O’Sullivan, Esme Pease, Noah Stanley, and Samuel Tippett.
Vocalists: Debbie Bygate, Ian Hutchinson, Stephen Leeks, Diana Lloyd, Nina Lobb, and Jeff Poole.
Tickets are now available from the TSB Showplace, or online at Ticketek, for the limited season, which will run until July 23.
New Zealand’s sunniest city is on the hunt for another ice cream van to satisfy demand.
Soft-serve giant Mr Whippy is advertising a franchise for sale in New Plymouth, which was named the sunniest place in the country in 2021, at $40,000 for a six-year term.
Benefits include flexible working hours, a fun working environment, outstanding financial returns and being part of a true Kiwi icon, the job advert reads.
Mr Whippy national operations manager Simon Kidman said of all the website booking requests that come through for vacant areas, more than half were for Taranaki.
‘‘It’s frustrating there’s such a big demand and no one to service it. It’s an unusual job because you are self-employed but the feedback we get is they have a smile on their face the whole time.’’
Running the van you are giving people their treat for the day, so everyone is at their happiest, Kidman, who is based in Queensland, Australia, said.
And New Zealanders eat a lot of icecream – about 23 litres each a year on average, which is one of the highest consumption rates in the world.
Taranaki also has the awardwinning Little Liberty Creamery, which produces plant-based icecream, gelato operators and almost every dairy in the province sells coned icecream, including Iona Dairy – renowned for the size of its scoops.
Kidman said the Taranaki franchisee could expect at least $100,000 turnover and if they didn’t reach that, Mr Whippy would top it up.
Expenses included the icecream van itself but Mr Whippy now provided the option to lease these to avoid a large cash payment upfront.
If things were going well after the six-year term, renewal for four more years was available for $15,000, Kidman said.
The Mr Whippy brand was bought by a group of young Kiwi investors in 2020 and the Taranaki franchise had been advertised since then.
New Plymouth has been without the Mr Whippy brand for 15 years, but not without soft serve.
After 18 years of driving with Mr Whippy, Dave Hancock parted ways with the franchise in 2007 and independently set up TinkleBell, which has been satisfying Taranaki’s icecream cravings ever since.
TinkleBell is now owned by Steve Faulker, who didn’t believe the region had the demand for another soft-serve icecream van.
‘‘It’s a dying business. I can see the end of it coming.’’