1971 - 2019
It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Nancy Brunning in November 2019.
Brunning, who directed the world premiere of Astroman at The Court Theatre in 2018, was an incredibly prolific and influential Māori artist, known for her work across stage and screen as a writer, director and actor.
She came to fame as Jaki Manu in Shortland Street, leaving that role after 2 years to return to her greatest passion, Māori theatre. Having collaborated with Taki Rua productions for well over 15 years, Brunning worked with some of New Zealand’s most celebrated Māori playwrights such as Briar Grace Smith, Witi Ihimaera, Hone Kouka and Albert Belz to name a few.
She also established her own company, Hāpai Productions, with Tanea Heke in 2013, writing and directing works such as Hīkoi, Portrait of an Artist Mongrel, Pakaru and Nancy’s final work, Witi’s Wahine, which she wrote and directed based on Witi Ihimaera’s most beloved female characters.
Here at The Court Theatre, Brunning brought so much aroha to the Shed in her production of Astroman, saying during rehearsals, “theatre is a reflection of our courage, our fears and our hopes and desires. We choose to leave our homes to watch theatre because we feel strong enough to be vulnerable with a whole bunch of strangers – in a safe environment.”
“Most importantly, theatre can speak on behalf of the voiceless and have a conversation with them afterwards. It’s live – to keep us alive.”