David Blakey

Directors Notes:
I first saw Festen in 2009. The play affected me deeply, so much so that I was determined to direct it in New Zealand when I returned home. Festen is everything I want to see when I go to the theatre. Its characters are
diverse. Its plotting is clever. There is conflict from the start, with Michael arguing with his wife Mette right until the final line.

We have been careful to keep Zach, who is nine years old, away from the more horrifying moments of the play. He stays in a closed dressing room when he is not on stage. You, our audience, will not have that protection
from the evil secret of the Hansen family.

Bio:
David directed The Playboy of the Western World at ETS (2015), Love Those Cockroaches (Short+Sweet 2016) and How To be Happy at Howick Little Theatre (2016). He designed The Pin-Up Boys and Waiting in The Wings here last year, and is designing Curtain Up for Jon Tamihere-Kemeys at Dolphin Theatre this year. His lighting designs include The Pink Hammer at Howick this year. His play Eternity was in the 2017 Legacy Project, and his new play Performing will be in the 2017 Ellerslie One Act Play Festival.