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Out
of the blue call puts Leisha in the spotlight
by
Delwyn
Dickey
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Delwyn
Dickey talks to Leisha Ward-Knox about her out
of the blue call that landed her role in
Bad Jelly the Witch
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Life in
the theatre can be – well – very
theatrical. So when Leisha Ward –Knox
got a call, out of the blue, asking if
she would consider joining the cast of
Badjelly the Witch at very short notice,
it didn’t
take her long to make a decision. A
quick talk with her very understanding
employers saw her enthusiastically
accepting. Offers like this are unusual
in the theatrical world, usually there
are auditions to attend with the
inevitable wait, so for Leisha, an offer
like this was a golden opportunity.
As good
luck would have it Mia Blake, who was
originally signed on to play the part of
Rose in Badjelly the Witch, has just
been offered a part in a feature film,
and as these role offers are definitely
not to be taken lightly, has pulled out
of the production with the best wishes
of every one involved.
Leisha
was born into very creative
household - mother Barbara Ward is
an accomplished sculptor and father
Chris Knox was a founding member of
Dunedin punk band Enemy back in the 1970’s
and has remained very involved in the
music industry. |
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Leisha and her brother John have been
able to follow their hearts with full
backing from their parents with regard
to their respective passions – art for
John and theatre for Leisha. Trained at
the Unitec School of Performing and
Screen Arts, Leisha has appeared in
numerous productions including Mercy
Peak, as Kate in the film ‘Hidden’,
and recently on TV’s Shortland Street
as Vinnies English girlfriend. And while
she has a refreshingly positive and fun
loving outlook on life, Leisha, never
the less, takes her work very seriously.
While
humour may seem like an easy acting
option, she offers up a well known W.C.
Fields quote - “Comedy is a serious
business” and stresses that a
production like Badjelly the Witch still
requires hard work and commitment. With
only one week to familiarize herself
with the script and another two weeks
intensive rehearsing before opening
night the pressure will be on.
Fortunately Leisha loves kids and finds
the energy that they bring to a live
performance empowering and magical. If
you could bottle that energy, she says,
you’d make a fortune. An added bonus
is that if you do fluff a line, children
are also very forgiving. Helen Clark
will being playing the voice of God in
the production and as well as
appreciating the support that our Prime
Minister has given to the arts over the
years in her role as Minister for Arts,
Culture and Heritage, the ironic humour
of her role is not lost on Leisha.
She loves off the wall humour and has a
real appreciation for Spike Milligan’s
outrageous sense of humour. As a child,
Badjelly the Witch was the first piece
of theatre that Leisha ever saw
performed and loves the irony that she
is now performing in this play 20 years
later.
“I was never pressured to be anything
other than myself, which is the most
incredible gift any parent could give
their child.” Leisha Ward-Knox
Badjelly
the Witch - September 25th -
October 9th at the
Wintergarden, Civic Theatre. Book at
Ticketek on (09) 307-5000 or www.ticketek.co.nz
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