Nicola Kawana

Last updated

Nicola Kāwana
Born1970 (age 53–54)
New Zealand
Occupation(s)Actress and theatre maker
Years active1998–present
Relatives Lucy Takiora Lord (ancestor)

Nicola Kāwana (born 1970) is a New Zealand actress, best known for playing Huia Samuels on the longest running New Zealand television series Shortland Street . Other roles include Mercy Peak , Jackson's Wharf , Lollie in The Man Who Lost His Head and “Mad” Maggie in Apex Legends . [1] [2]

Contents

Career

Kāwana was born in Taranaki, and was part of Taranaki Youth Theatre. [3] She did actor training at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School graduating in 1994. [4]

As of 20 August 2006, the character Huia Samuels has been written out of Shortland Street . [5] It was reported that Kāwana was very angry with the decision. However, the story that appeared went to print based on gossip. Kāwana was unable to give her side of the story due to the legal constraints of her contract to South Pacific Pictures, the makers of the serial programme. [6]

July 2021 was the premier of a play Kāwana wrote called Kūpapa. This play is about an ancestor of Kāwana's, Lucy Takiora Lord, who was involved in significant historical events in Aotearoa New Zealand. The play was presented by Te Pou Theatre in Auckland and directed by Erina Daniels. [7] [8]

Kāwana also works as a garden writer, gardener and presenter on the Maori TV show, Whānau Living. Nicola is a member of Equity New Zealand, a UNICEF Global Parent. [9] [10] [1]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
1998 Saving Grace Nurse [11]
2005The Mystery of DeRezny's LimpDeRezny's MotherShort
2009KehuaSarahShort [12]
2012 Fresh Meat Margaret Crane [12]
2013Pumanawa: The GiftSpirit PareShort [12]
2018Maui's Hook [12]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
1998The Enid Blyton Secret SeriesJaguarheads"The Secret Mountain" [11]
1999 Jackson's Wharf Mahina JacksonRecurring role [11]
2002 Mercy Peak Karina Chadwick"Do the Right Thing", "Fear and Loathing" [11]
2002MatakuTui Burton"The Rocks" [11]
2005–06 Shortland Street Huia Samuels Regular role [11]
2007 The Man Who Lost His Head LollieTV film [13]
2008 Legend of the Seeker Sylvia"Brennidon" [13]
2010 Eruption MereTV film [11]
2011Brown BruthazTV series [11]
2014The KickTV film [11]
2015Find Me a Maori BrideJudge Judy"1.8" [13]
2016ResetMereTV film [11]
2016 The Brokenwood Mysteries Tina"Over Her Dead Body", "A Merry Bloody Christmas" [11]
2017KiwiJaniceTV film
2018 The New Legends of Monkey Meera"A Part of You That's Missing" [11]
2018In Dark PlacesP.C. SaluTV film [11]
2019AhikāroaDina"Season 2"

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotesRef
2021-presentApex LegendsMad Maggie [14]

Theatre

Kāwana's first professional role was in Hone Tuwhare’s In the Wilderness Without a Hat in 1989 at Taki Rua. [15]

Her theatre acting roles include:

YearTitlePlaywrightRoleDirectorProducerNotesRef
1995Five Angels Hone Kouka Alison Quignan Centrepoint Theatre [16]
1996Mo & Jess Kill Susie Gary Henderson Gary HendersonBATS Theatre [16]
1998HomefiresHone KoukaTia Nathaniel Lees Downstage Theatrein NZ Festival of the Arts programme [16]
1998Kindertransport Diane Samuels Mother Donagh Rees Herald TheatreUnreal Theatre Company [16]
1999Les Parents TerriblesJean CocteauMadeline Cathy Downes Circa Theatre [17] [16]
2001Woman Far Walking Witi Ihimaera Tilly Christian Penny Taki Rua Productionsperformed in New Plymouth (July) and at the Herald Theatre, Auckland in August [16]
2012The Motor Camp Dave Armstrong Dawn TaoioaRoy WardAuckland Theatre CompanyComedy, based on a story by Danny Mulheron [3]
2012Awatea Bruce Mason Pera Colin McColl ATC [3]
2014FixJess SayerGrace Sam Sneddon The Basement [16]
2015A Dolls House Emily Perkins ChristineColin McCollATCadapted from Ibsen's original [3]
2018Rendered Stuart Hoar Major Aria Katie Wolfe ATC [3]
2018Under the Mountain Pip Hall Aunty Noeline Sara Brodie ATCadapted from Maurice Gee novel [3]
2019Astroman Albert Belz Mrs MaharaTainui TukiawaloATCin assoc. with Te Rehia Theatre and Auckland Arts Festival. [3]
2020The Master Builder Hendik Ibsen Dr KerdalColin McCollATCa hybrid of theatre and film [3]
2020Red Rabbit, White Rabbit Nassim Soleimanpour SoloThe AudienceSilo TheatreImprovisation from playwright's instructions,unseen by the actor
2021Things That Matter Gary Henderson Carol Anapela Polata'ivao ATCadapted from a memoir by Dr David Galler [3]

Awards

1996 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards - Most Promising Female Newcomer of the Year - Mo & Jess Kill Susie by Gary Henderson [18]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Nicola Kawana". Auckland Theatre Company. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  2. ↑ "The big break: NZ stars share their first theatre". The New Zealand Herald . 14 September 2018. ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Nicola Kāwana". Auckland Theatre Company. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Guest, Bill (2010). Transitions : four decades of Toi Whakaari : New Zealand Drama School. Ginny Sullivan, Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School. Wellington [N.Z.]: Victoria University Press. ISBN   978-0-86473-642-0. OCLC   669968400.
  5. ↑ Barry, Rebecca (11 October 2006). "Surgical strike on Shortland Street". The New Zealand Herald . ISSN   1170-0777 . Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  6. ↑ Cook, Stephen (August 2006). "Dumped actress throws hissy fit and goes Awol from set in protest". The New Zealand Herald . APN News & Media . Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  7. ↑ "KŪPAPA". Te Pou Theatre. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  8. ↑ O'Flaherty, Erin. "REVIEW: Kūpapa (Te Pou Theatre)". Theatre Scenes: Auckland Theatre Blog (Reviews and commentary). Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  9. ↑ "Our Stories". Pollinator Paths. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  10. ↑ "Tag: Gardening. Showing results 1 - 10 of 101 | Māori Television". Te Ao Maori. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Nicola Kawana". IMDb. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Nicola Kawana". New Zealand Film Commission. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 "Nicola Kawana". IMDb. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  14. ↑ @playapex (24 January 2022). "Let's give a massive kia ora to Nicola Kawana as we welcome her into the Apex Whānau as Mad Maggie" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ↑ "Nicola Kāwana | Auckland Theatre Company". Auckland Theatre Company. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Theatre 1 Database". Theatre Aotearoa database. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  17. ↑ "Theatre 1 Database". Theatre Aotearoa database. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  18. ↑ "Theatre Aotearoa". tadb.otago.ac.nz. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
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