about us

stageantics

From small beginnings in Auckland in 2017, stageantics has developed quickly over the past nine years and being part of the StageAntics whanau is a ‘hot ticket’ with:

Weekly lessons (private and group) are available at four locations across Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) and on zoom;
Holiday Show in a Week programmes are available throughout the year across the motu;
Concerts and performance opportunities throughout the year.

emma bishop

founder/managing director

Emma is a well-known theatre and education practitioner in Aotearoa.

Growing up in theatre Emma spent her first act in Dunedin as an active member of both Opera Otago and Dunedin Operatic, with highlights being performing in the 1994 Consortium of Les Miserables and 1995 Merry Widow with Dame Malvina Major.
Here Emma attended Otago University as a voice student of Honor McKellar.
The second act saw her relocate to Nelson to attend performing arts school as it became apparent that musical theatre was her number one passion. Here highlights included gaining a Diploma in Performing Arts (Musical Theatre) and playing Columbia in The Rocky Horror Picture Show for the Nelson Arts Festival in 1998.
The third act saw Emma move to Auckland and train as a Primary kaiako specialising in Music Education followed by gaining a Masters in Dance Education at The University of Auckland. Emma spent 15 years as a full-time educator before leaving fulltime teaching in 2017 to set up her own performing arts company StageAntics which offers training in all areas of theatre in Invercargill, Queenstown, Wellington and Auckland. Under this umbrella Emma also created corporate entertainment group Queen_St with a kaupapa of providing quality performance as well as giving back to the community with each event having a giveback portion.

Emma is also half of the team producing KickArts the weekly arts radio show on Planet FM 104.6
Emma’s vast experience, both on and off stage, has not only seen her nominated for and winning a number of theatre awards but also elected into a number of national positions including being: the current President of Musical Theatre NZ and a Life Member and past President of Drama NZ, the National Subject Association for Drama in Education.

Emma’s passion for youth performing arts saw her appointed in 2016 as the National Coordinator of Junior Theatre New Zealand . In this role she coordinated the annual Junior Theatre Festival New Zealand and associated Pilot Programme until 2021.
In 2022 she took over the Junior Theatre mantle for Aotearoa and is now producing the year round events which include pilot programmes, workshops, celebration days and festivals.
Emma has also on numerous occassions travelled to the Junior Theater Festival in Atlanta, West, Europe and Australia as an adjudicator and tutor.

mel butson

administrator / company manager

Mel serves as StageAntics’ Administrator and as Company Manager on our Show in a Week Programmes in the South Island.
A dedicated supporter of the arts, she brings over 20 years of experience in finance, office management, and administration through her work as a Management Accountant. Born and raised in Te Anau, Mel now lives in Dunedin and has been involved in numerous StageAntics productions, contributing both front of house and behind the scenes, as well as coordinating our young performers.