That Bloody Woman
Kate Sheppard is back. New Zealand’s favourite daughter is one of the most important figures in the history of suffrage and women’s rights and now she has her own musical! From humble beginnings in a tent in Christchurch, NZ, TBW went on to become a nationwide sellout smash. “Like Hamilton for the US, That Bloody Woman is the musical NZ didn’t know it needed.”
The show is framed as a rock concert for Kate and her ‘gang’ to tell us her story, the story of New Zealand’s suffrage movement and to give us an almighty kick up the ass more than 125 years later. We see her and her friends transition from temperance to suffrage, taking on the anti-suffrage Prime Minister of the day, Richard “King Dick” Seddon and ultimately persuading a quarter of the female population to sign a crucial petition. But behind the public persona her personal life was in turmoil - trapped in a loveless marriage, in love with her best friend and deprived of her only child when she needed him most.
Corporate / group packages
Taieri Musical invites you to join us for the rocking historical education you never knew you needed. Get your team and your clients together for a great night out that will have you shouting for more.
Creative team
Kim Morgan
Director
Kim Morgan is an award-winning director, author/editor and educator who’s worked in academic and professional theatre for over 25 years. She holds a PhD in Theatre (Directing, Shakespeare, History); has taught at Univ. of Otago, Univ. of Denver, Univ. of Colorado, SUNYBinghamton; and authored a monograph and several book chapters/articles on Hamlet in 20c Russia. In America, Kim trained and/or worked at: Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Curious Theatre Company, Shakespeare & Company, Dell’Arte, Denver Center Theatre Company, Naropa, and various regional theaters. In New Zealand, Kim has lectured, performed, and directed at: Univ. of Otago, Fortune Theatre, Otago Museum, Toitu Settlers Museum, SGCNZ, Columba College, InterAct, Otepoti Theatre Lab, Prospect Park Productions, and Dunedin Fringe Festival—as well as providing leading character voices for several puppetry and animated television series through NHNZ.
Better known as co-founder and principal director for the Dunedin Summer Shakespeare programme (est. 2019), she has also directed several musicals (Cabaret, a steampunk Threepenny Opera, Spring Awakening workshop) and contributed to numerous others over the years (Pippin, Hair, Chicago, Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, etc). A staunchly feminist immigrant to NZ herself, Kim is fascinated by Kate Sheppard’s story and utterly thrilled to be helming Taieri Musical’s production of That Bloody Woman!
Bridget Telfer-Milne
Musical Director
Bridget is no stranger to Taieri Musical, having made her ‘Musical Director’ debut in 2004 with ‘Chess’, followed by ‘Annie’, ‘Grease’, ‘Honk’, ‘Oliver’, ‘My Fair Lady’, ‘Buddy Holly’, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Blood Brothers’. She is thrilled to be back again and excited to work alongside Dr. Kim Morgan on this fantastic NZ original rock musical!
Bridget holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Contemporary Voice and a has a First class Honours Degree in Composition. She has recently written a one act musical theatre work called ‘Internet Dating and the Divorcee’ and is now (slowly, in between shows!) writing a major musical theatre work based on the infamous baby farmer ‘Minnie Dean’.
With a wealth of experience onstage and off, spanning the past 40 years, musical theatre remains Bridget’s life long passion, inspiration and drive. By day Bridget runs a new small theatre company, ‘Pop up Productions NZ’ with Arlie McCormick and is a prominent Vocal/Performance Teacher, at her own studio ‘Bridget Telfer Singing & Music Studio’.
Cast
Kate Sheppard: Anna Langford
Richard "King Dick" Seddon: Max Beal
Gang / Jennie Lovell-Smith: Kelly Hocking
Gang / Ada Wells: Jess Clarke
Gang / Mary Leavitt: Janine Weatherly
Gang / Walter Sheppard / Kate's Uncle: Peter Hocking
Gang / William Lovell-Smith / Kate's Father: Darrel Read
Gang / Sir John Hall: Kieran Kelly
Gang / John Ballance: Kane Welsh
Gang / Vicar: Jane Craigie-Read
Gang: Bethany Cook, Chelsea McRae