BLAISE BARHAM
Co-founder
Blaise has lived in Hong Kong, Belize, France, and England and has also been an international marketing director. He was a founding member of theatre production company Sahara BreeZe Productions in 2019. He sees himself as a theatre maker, educator, director, and entrepreneur.
He was involved in international education for 30 years and emigrated to NZ in 2000. Since then, he grew a passion for local theatre as an actor and past president of Remarkable Theatre Queenstown.
Blaise moved to Dunedin in 2021 to further his theatre studies at Otago University. Most notable recent awards have been an Otago and Southland Theatre Award in 2019 for best leading male for his role as Francis in One Man Two Guvnors and a nomination for Outstanding Performer at 2021 Dunedin Fringe, and a University of Otago Prestige Scholarship in Performing Arts in 2022.
Blaise is also on the executive board of Theatre New Zealand and looks forward to being part of the growth of NZ theatre locally, nationally and internationally.
SARAH BARHAM
Co-founder
Sarah Barham has been performing, directing, and producing theatrical productions for Queenstown Shakespeare, Remarkable Theatre and SBZ Productions since arriving in Queenstown in 2000. Her highlights have been winning an OSTA for Best Supporting Female in a Play for the part of Gwen in ‘Away’ in 2018 and being nominated for Outstanding Performer(s) for ‘Two’ in the 2021 Dunedin Fringe. In addition, the cast she directed in a short play for NZ Pint-Sized Plays in 2019 won best performance.
Since moving to Dunedin to study theatre at the University of Otago in 2021, she has continued to perform and produce for SBZ Productions, including Dracula: The Bloody Truth, various university and local productions, and initiating and running the Shot Glass Shorts Short Play Competition in 2022.
ZOE BARHAM
Co-founder
Zoe Barham is a dancer, choreographer, circus performer, actress and a founding member of SBZ.
Zoe has been performing on stage since she was four years old. She has choreographed for Remarkable Theatre’s productions of ‘Away’ in 2018, ‘One Man, Two Guvnors’ in 2019 and ‘Cosi’ in 2020 and our production of 'Dracula: the Bloody Truth' in 2021. Her most notable choreographies were for ‘Grease’ at Wakatipu High School and for Showquest Regional Finals at the Regent Theatre in Dunedin in 2021.
Zoe currently dances professionally with Society Entertainment in Wellington.
As well as dancing, Zoe trains Partner Acrobatics and Chair Balancing, performing in a range of shows such as 'BRAW' (2022), 'Nightmares' (2023), 'Circus of the Night' (2023/2024), 'Bad Kitty Cabaret' (2024) and 'Images in Motion' (2024) and teaching workshops in Wellington and Christchurch.
She is a key member of both Strange Case Productions and Creative Motion Collective, two professional circus companies based in Wellington.
BECKY HODSON
Creative
Becky Hodson is originally from Sydney and educated in Singapore.
Making theatre her home wherever she goes, Becky has acted across various genres ranging from 19th century Naturalism to Post-Modern physical theatre and is currently studying Theatre at Otago University.
Her speciality is devising ensemble-focussed pieces, with one of her favourite roles as a Mason girl in an original devised work exploring the psychosis of cults and manipulation.
Regardless of the genre or role, Becky brings the same enthusiastic dedication to every project she takes on.
BRENT CALDWELL
Creative
After 35 years in education in New Zealand, Australia and Britain, Brent Caldwell finally switched full-time to his chosen career of acting in 2021.
He is currently studying Theatre at the Otago University’s School of Performing Arts.
He has previously worked in repertory in Otago, Southland and Western Australia and written, directed, and produced numerous school productions. He is passionate about acting, and performing, and also enjoys writing for the stage as well as being part of the tech team.
JOHN GOUDGE
Creative
Director, actor, tutor & musician John Goudge lives a creative life of theatre, music, & teaching.
John’s recent directing credits include Hamlet (2013), Fawlty Towers (2014), an award-winning season of Saturday Night Fever (2016), Serial Killers (2017), & Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine (2018).
Since its inception in 2019, John has been a director for SBZ Productions, including for touring shows Dear Lupin in 2019, Two in 2020, and as an assistant director for Dracula, the Bloody Truth in 2021.
Over 25 years, hundreds of performers have trained with John at his Oratia drama school in West Auckland, at weekly classes he runs at Titirangi Theatre, or at workshops for schools or theatres.
MATILDA MACANDREW
Creative
Born and raised in Dunedin, Matilda has been passionate about photography, videography and theatre since she was young. This dedication was only furthered when she graduated from the University of Otago with a degree in media and film studies.
She was the videography intern for the 2021 and 2022 Dunedin Fringe Festival, as well as the Promotions Assistant for the 2021 Midwinter Carnival. These roles had her producing and curating a range of photo and video content for publicity purposes.
Matilda really found her love for theatre when she started acting with the Playhouse Theatre in 2013, and went on to do over 10 shows with them and many more elsewhere (such as Allen Hall Theatre).
She is excited to keep creating within a community that provides so many opportunities for artists.
MEKO NG
Creative
Originally from Hong Kong, Meko Ng re-discovered her passion for theatre and performing through taking drama in high school when she moved to New Zealand in 2016.
She recently graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in theatre in 2021 and her Honours in 2022.
While she is involved in many aspects of theatre, her main passions lie in musical theatre, acting and directing. Meko has been incredibly active in the Dunedin theatre scene in the last 7 years she’s been here.
Meko's been involved with (but not limited to): multiple Lunchtime theatre shows as an actor, singer, and/or dancer, acting, dance demonstrating and vocal coaching casts of over 70 members in the Otago Gang Shows, the UNESCO Short Play Festival in 2019, the 2022 Fringe Festival team, and the 2022 New Zealand Young Writers Festival team.
RICHARD HUBER
Creative
Richard is a professional director, teacher, actor, and playwright. In Christchurch, he established the Theatre in Education Programme and worked with the innovative Splinta Stilt Theatre Company. He taught theatre at the University of Otago from 1993-2009.
His work as a writer includes the Fortune Theatre’s production of his highly acclaimed Glorious, which has had further professional productions in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland.
He has also worked extensively as a director with the Fortune Theatre, Wow Productions and with a wide range of independent professional and amateur groups.
His recent work as a director, includes critically acclaimed productions of Waiting for Godot at the Globe Theatre, One Day for the 2010 Otago Festival of the Arts, Blood of the Lamb for 2018 Otago Festival of the Arts, and Toy Factory Fire and Simple Acts of Malice for the 2020 Otago Festival of the Arts.
Tabitha Littlejohn
Creative
Tabitha was a very active member of a busy SBZ season team at Dunedin Fringe Festival 2023, operating lighting for NZ Touring Award show OUT AT SEA and also as a key member of the lighting/ sound design and operation team for THE BEAR which was a finalist for various awards including Outstanding Design.
Growing up just outside of Dunedin, Tabitha began her involvement in the local Otepoti Theatre Community scene at the Fire Station Theatre. There she has gained an interest for all aspects of theatre from production roles to theatre management, becoming president of the Taieri Dramatic Society in 2022.
She is currently studying a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Theatre and Physics at the University of Otago. Through her studies, Tabitha has also become heavily involved with Allen Hall Theatre, especially its Lunchtime Theatre programme.