Raymond Hawthorne

Hawthorne grew up in Hawkes Bay. He used to ride a horse to his schooling at Pakipaki School (now Te Kura Pakipaki) and Hastings High School. At age five he won a primary school singing competition judged by Emma Natzke, the mother of Russian New Zealand opera singer Oscar Natzka. He also performed with Hawkes Bay community opera and theatrical companies.[1]

In 1955 Hawthorne became a member of the New Zealand Players, the nation's first major professional theatre company. It was directed by Richard Campion, father of filmmaker Jane Campion. Granted a government bursary in 1957, Hawthorne studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Following graduation he pursued a career as a performer but his interest moved towards directing and teaching. Returning to New Zealand in 1971, he joined the Mercury Theatre under the directorship of Anthony Richardson. Within two years Hawthorne founded Theatre Corporate. The company helped bring to prominence such notable artists as Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst. Hawthorne remained director of the company until 1981.[2]

Some of the plays he directed with Theatre Corporate include, The Fantastiks by Tom Jones, music by Harvey L Schmidt (1977), The Two Tigers by Brian McNeill (1977), Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1978), A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (1979), Cabaret by John Kander and Fred Ebb (1984).[3] In 1982 Hawthorne became Director of the National Opera of New Zealand. He directed Brecht/ Weills’ Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny and Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw but the company financially failed and finished soon after.[4]

Mercury Theatre, Auckland, 2011

In 1985 he was appointed Director of the Mercury Theatre, a position he retained for seven years. During his tenure he directed numerous operas, musicals and plays. Hawthorne established an acting studio in 1992, The Actor's Space. In 1992 he also directed the first Auckland Theatre Company production, Lovelock's Dream Run by David Geary out of the ashes of the Mercury Theatre.[5]

In 1997 he became the Head of Major in ‘Directing and Writing for Theatre and Screen’ at Unitec Institute of Technology. He was appointed Head of the School of Performing and Screen Arts in 2003.[2]

He has acted and directed for Auckland Theatre Company numerous productions including Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Travels With My Aunt, The Judas Kiss, Waiting for Godot, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Crucible and Sir Roger Hall's Who Wants to be 100?[2][6]

In 2011 he directed the inaugural production at Auckland's Q Theatre, Raise the Titanics.[7] His other directing credits include Angels in America, Three Tall Women, The Herbal Bed, Julius Caesar, Cabaret, Into the Woods, Travesties, High Society, Oliver! and Guys and Dolls. He has acted in film and television projects including Children of the Dog Star, Mortimer's Patch, Bread and Roses, Shortland Street and As Dreams Are Made On.[1][8][2][9]

In the 2000 Queen's Birthday Honours, Hawthorne was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the theatre.[10]

Married to Elizabeth Hawthorne, he is the father of Emmeline Hawthorne and the late Sophia Hawthorne.[11]

• Raymond Hawthorne at Oxford Reference
• Raymond Hawthorne at Playmarket
• Raymond Hawthorne at Auckland Theatre Company
• McNeill, Michael. "'Not a Bunch of Carmelite Monks", Art New Zealand 9, February–April 1978
• Raymond Hawthorne at IMDb
• Q Theatre
• Auckland Theatre Company