OLIVER!

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Jonathan Alver is a multi-skilled director and producer of both stage and screen with international experience in the UK, Europe, US and New Zealand.  Trained as a singer at the Royal Northern College of Music, his major directing debut came at the age of 25 when he remounted the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Showboat at the London Palladium. 

Jonathan has since gone on to direct numerous theatre and opera productions around the world including Aida, La Boheme, Falstaff, Lucia di Lammermoor, Macbeth and Tosca, as well as more than 100 broadcast television hours of Shortland Street and Go Girls. 

Jonathan began his long association with New Zealand in 1996, taking up the role of Artistic Director and then General Director of New Zealand Opera.  Amongst his many achievements during that time he is particularly proud of establishing and delivering a ground-breaking opera outreach programme for New Zealand schools and an Emerging Artists’ Programme. 

In the last ten years Jonathan has toured theatrical productions and delivered major events, co-produced Jailhouse Rock - The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre in London’s West End, directed television and developed his own screen and theatre projects.

PROGRAMME DIRECTOR

Cole is one of our longest serving National Youth Theatre alumnus. He began performing in shows in 2007 and has been involved to some capacity with every production since. Joining staff in 2019, Cole has been a wonderful addition to our team. Alongside his work as the Programme Director with National Youth Theatre he works as a Vocal Coach, the owner of Auckland Artists Network, a resident performer with Ryman Healthcare and a very in demand Musical Theatre performer. 

CHOREOGRAPHER

MUSICAL DIRECTOR

Ben can usually be found behind a piano, working as a répétiteur and orchestral pianist on productions for New Zealand Opera and G&T/Amici Productions, and as a pianist and vocal coach at the University of Auckland and the New Zealand Opera School. His work as a musical director, besides his shows with NYT, includes productions with Auckland Music Theatre and the Junior Theatre Festival of New Zealand. He also performs as a singer, having performed roles on stages from Christchurch to Auckland. In his copious free time he also lectures at the University of Auckland, where he recently completed his PhD in musicology

ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER

Nieve began dancing at the age of 3 and has since gained experience in a variety of styles. She has always loved the idea of passing on her knowledge and enjoyment of dance; she spent years assisting her ballet teacher with the younger students' classes before she started working as a solo teacher herself in 2019. Additionally she had the opportunity to lead dance troupes at Rangitoto College, where she received the Devotion to Dance award in 2018.

Nieve is currently in her final year of a Bachelors of Dance Studies at the University of Auckland. Alongside this degree Nieve has performed in contemporary piece ‘This Room Is An Island’ (choreographed and created by Yin-Chi Lee), and ‘Night Of The Queer 2023’ (Luck & Schooney). She started working with the National Youth Theatre in 2021 as a Dance Intern and has since taken on the role of Assistant Choreographer for their productions of OLIVER! and Wendy, The Peter Pan Musical as well as Choreographer for Frozen JR. She is now the Programme Choreographer for their 2023 production of CATS.

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Isabella has been in the performing arts world since the age of eight, her first three shows being with the National Youth Theatre. In 2016, she moved to Paris where she obtained a three year undergraduate diploma in Performance (Acting). She was taught bilingually and as a result is now fluent in French. A few months after completing her undergraduate, she auditioned and was accepted into the competitive Masters course at Mountview Academy in London. She received training in several areas of performance, including stage combat, screen acting, radio and commercial work and accents, which are all areas she now excels at. 

Isabella joined NYT’s creative team in 2021, running two All Stars musical theatre school holiday programmes. She was then asked to join Oliver! as Assistant Director. The 2022 production of Disney's Frozen Jr. was particularly exciting for Isabella as it was her first time as Programme Director, a role she absolutely loved. Most recently, Isabella became one of the tutors for NYT's newly created Triple Threat after school programme. She specialises in teaching her discipline, acting, helping to elevate NYT students' performances within the lens of musical theatre. 

Outside of NYT, Isabella writes, directs, performs and teaches at various theatre companies around Auckland. She works closely with Ugly Shakespeare Co., adapting Shakespeare's lesser known Titus Andronicus and will perform this on her second national tour in 2023. She has just completed another original script set to be published in mid 2023. 

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

PRODUCTION MANAGER

COSTUME DESIGNER

Deb Thearle, originally from England, graduated in Costume Interpretation from the Wimbledon College of Arts in 1995. She has worked on TV, film, and theatre costumes for Angels Costumes in London. She spent four years in Melbourne designing and making costumes for J.C. Westend Costume Hire before heading back to the UK. She was a pattern-cutter and maker at the Mercury Theatre in Colchester. Previous costume design work includes Last Legs, and Winding Up for Auckland Theatre Company. She has designed Shrek, Annie and Wizard of Oz for National Youth Theatre. Deb was also the Costume Manager for The Audience Auckland Theatre Company, and runs her own dressmaking business.

In 2021, Deb returned to University to do her Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary) whilst also designing and sewing costumes for Disney's  Beauty and the Beast. She is now a Technology teacher at Orewa College, where she has already costumed her first show: The Addams Family.

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Elin comes from a production and event management background. Trained in the UK, she worked professionally across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland before settling in NZ.

The broad range of her industry experience includes working for car launches, television, conferences, photographic studios, special events, exhibitions, inflight entertainment, and general elections. 

Companies she has worked with are Ford, Canon, British Gas, Reuters, Oxfam, BBC Radio, Grundy Entertainment, TV3, TVNZ, Communicado. She has also held roles in the last five general elections, as Operations and Logistics Manager, Team Leader and Trainer for the NZ Electoral Commission.

In 2016 Elin joined NYT as Operations Manager, adding the world of theatre to her list of production credits, and has enjoyed being instrumental in the development of processes and procedures vital to support the company's continued expansion and success.

RELATIONSHIP MANAGER

Shirley Sequeira is a jack of many trades. At the age of 16 she dabbled in design and worked for a boutique. She then worked in hotel management for three years, before moving into the Airline Industry, first for PanAm then becoming a Sales and Marketing Manager with SwissAir.  In the background she started a company called Entre Nous, running corporate events and touring international productions. 

REHEARSAL MANAGER

Johanna has been with the National Youth Theatre since 2007. A constant presence in the rehearsal room, Johanna is your first point of call for any of the day-to-day questions you may have. Once we go into theatre, Johanna's domain becomes the side-of-stage, leading a team of volunteers, and providing a vital conduit between departments. Johanna is a trained ballerina, having danced with Royal New Zealand Ballet.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

James Doy (B.Mus L.T.C.L.) was one of the founding members of the National Youth Theatre Company, and has been the Musical Director since its inception in 2005. In 2012 James was appointed Chief Executive by the NYT Board.

Outside of NYT James has a resume including Christmas and Opera in the Park, Rob Guest, Max Bygraves and Shirley Bassey. In the world of musical theatre, James has played for many international touring productions including Les Miserables, Little Shop of Horrors, Porgy and Bess, Cats, Matilda and Wicked.

In 2014 James received the prestigious 'NZ Musician of the Year' award from the Variety Artists Club. James was the Musical Director of the NZ Opening Ceremony for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup, composing, arranging, and working with artists from Sole Mio to Hayley Westernra as well as putting together a huge showcase for the music from each of the 14 participating nations. He composed the theme for Peta Matthias’s Taste series, which have been screened all over the world, and composed the full length musical Peter Pan for NYT in 2017.