kia ora so happy to see you guys active again here! can i ask, have you guys kept up with the actors, how are they doing?
Kia ora!
@minniegraced here, your go to gal for NMTDaily.
Short answer: Yes. Pretty good!
Longer answer: I cannot comment on everyone (and if I did we'd be here for hours), but I know that many of us have kept up with each other in different ways and to different degrees. Everyone's relationship with the internet and being online has changed over the years too - though I believe many of us are on Instagram these days. You should be able to find most folks who continue an online presence by looking through TCW's insta followings.
Hi candlewasters!!! I was wondering- what was the deal with the photo you all posted a couple months ago with Balthazar, Claudio, and Peter all wearing suits? Did an episode with that scene ever air? Thanks and love!
Hi alphabetsoup333!The photo is from the filming of our “recreation” of the NMTD video ‘Dear Benedick’ as part of the Lovely Little Losers Kickstarter stretch goals.It’s a picture of the actors (Reuben, Matthew, and Caleb) rather than the characters and the video should be out around mid-way through this year, all going well.Thank you,Minnie <3
Did any of the cast know each other previous to filming? <3
Short answer: yes.
Long answer as follows…
Bear with, things might get a little bit confusing. Also, I’m essentially just gonna rave about how much I appreciate everyone who has been involved with NMTD / LLL.
The Candle Wasters, Pearl Kennedy, Lucie Everett-Brown, David Hannah, Reuben Hudson, and Caleb Wells all went to the same high school.
Harriett Maire, Sally Bollinger, and Jake McGregor were at one point in time in a drama class together (fun facts: Bonnie was either also in this class or was in another class that didn’t have Sally in it. I do not know all haha)Caleb knew Jessica Stansfield, Holly Parkes, and Matthew J. Smith. Elsie and Sally had also seen Matthew in a play one time. Also, Caleb and I went to primary school together (#tinychildren).George Maunsell was in a Rita Stone production of Taming of the Shrew with Sally, Elsie, and Caleb. And which Claris and I filmed.Jessi Golding was part of a 48 Hour film team with Sally - or they’d just done a film together?? The details are blurry. At the time of filming, Lucie was dating John Burrows. And I’m not 100% sure if they were in a play with him, or if we saw him in a play some time but at least one person knew Alex MacDonald.I have not done any fact checking, but essentially for NMTD there was a connection with everyone except Tina Pan before filming. That’s kinda how New Zealand is, and these prior relationships did not affect our casting decisions haha
Lovely Little Losers! This one is different because we didn’t have time to open cast it as we would have liked so we approached people we already knew to audition for us.Phodiso Dintwe also went to school with us; he was originally gonna play Claudio so we were eager to get him involved as unforeseen circumstances meant he could not be in NMTD. Daniel McBride is also a long time high school companion. His music is amazing, and during NMTD his song ‘Glare’ became a mantra for the cast - when the opportunity to cast him in LLL came up we were nervous and excited to ask him to be involved. Bonnie Simmonds has been best friends with Harriett for a million and one years.
Ella McLeod went to university with Claris, Jake, and I. She is a very talented actress and all round incredible human.
Mouce Young also went to university with us but we never encountered her in class - Claris and I happened to go along to a uni play which Mouce starred in and we were so blown away we waited around after the show to ask her to PLEASE audition for us hahaKalisha Wasasala was in a play with Sally, again Shakespeare and again directed by Rita Stone. She’s so wonderful, guys. SO WONDERFUL.I believe Sally was also in a play with Bronwyn Ensor. Bronwyn recently got into The Actors Program in Auckland so, uhm, can we say SUPER PROUD. Calum Gittins directed a production of Romeo and Juliet which Harriett, Elsie, Sally, Phodiso, Matthew, Caleb, and Mirabai Pease were all in. Calum continues to do director-y things and super nerdy things like winning Magic: The Gathering tournaments. He’s (keep this on the down low) pretty gosh darned inspiring.
Robbie Nicol went to England with Sally Bollinger as part of the SGCNZ Shakespeare festival (Dawn Sanders is an incredible woman who basically heralds everything Shakespeare in New Zealand). Did y’all know Robbie has a podcast with this other brilliant human called Max? That’s a thing. Go check out How’d It Go? ;)
Everyone I’ve missed has been in plays, went to uni with us, or been in short films with someone else involved. But there ya go; that’s the main cast at least hahaHope you found this fun or something,Minnie xx
