In 1969 or 1970, a 7 year old Jennifer
Ward-Lealand played a small role in Paul Maunder’s production of
Seneca’s Oedipus at Unity Theatre, no
1 Kent Terrace in Wellington. Jennifer’s love of theatre and passion to
be an actor was triggered by this production and she has an enormous affection
for the building as a result, “My father (Conrad Lealand) was also in the
show. The minute I walked into the rehearsal room I felt like I was home.”
To Jennifer, the building had a particular atmosphere… made up of layers
and layers of paint and memories of rehearsals, poetry readings and
productions. She remembers the rehearsal rooms for the theatre were the
upstairs clubs rooms of the Grand Order of the Buffaloes.
Jennifer performed in three BATS plays
when she was still at high school. During the mid to late 70s she played a
recurring role in TV’s Close to Home,
performed with the Ngaio Review Club, Downstage
Youth Theatre and The Town and
Country Players before heading to Auckland’s Theatre Corporate. Acting in these various productions, taking
classes at Wellington Youth Drama and
performing in school plays were very important steps in honing her craft. Although the Bats shows were not ‘professional,’
a high standard was expected from the actors and it was an important
transitional time for her. Jenny Lealand, as she is credited on the BATS
hand-typed programmes, was later to be known as Jennifer Ward-Lealand, becoming
one of New Zealand’s award winning actors. Her
contribution to NZ theatre was recognised in the 2007 New Year
Honours List with her
investiture as an Officer of the New Zealand
Order of Merit
(ONZM).
1979: various roles in Slices of Life (devised) Director:
Anne Flannery
1980:
Mary Warren in The Crucible by Arthur
Miller. Director: Anne Flannery.
Jennifer’s performance caught the
attention of the critic’s review of Anne Flannery’s production of Arthur
Millers’ The Crucible, June 7 to 28th 1980 where Jenny Lealand (from Close to Home) played
Mary Warren ”…seemingly faultless performance as the young girl who
tries to break away from the witch hunt made the play worth seeing.”
1981 Viola in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
Directors: Anne Flannery & Ian McClymont
The Twelfth Night costumes
were designed and cut by Hera Cook’s and made by a team of volunteers who sewed
the satin tops and trousers that were very restrictive and form fitting for the
actors. The costumes were appraised by Bruce Mason, who was reviewing the
production at the time, as “après ski wear.” Jennifer’s’ costume was a blue
turquoise satin trouser suite.
For more
information about Jennifer and what she is doing now visit her web site: http://www.jenniferwardlealand.co.nz/
The director of
these productions, Anne Flannery died in 2001 in Sydney Australia. http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/anne-flannery. She had a career in NZ television between 1975 and 1984. Her screen roles often saw her
playing wife and mother - from partner to missionary Henry Williams in TV epic
The Governor, to wheelchair-bound and mute in Heart of the Stag. She won
acclaim in Vincent Ward's adaptation of ‘A State of Siege.’
The director of these three productions, Anne Flannery, died in 2001 in Sydney
Australia. http://www.nzonscreen.com/person/anne-flannery.
She had a career in NZ television between 1975 and 1984. Her screen roles often saw her
playing wife and mother - from partner to missionary Henry Williams in TV epic The Governor,
to wheelchair-bound and mute in Heart of the Stag. She won acclaim in Vincent
Ward's adaptation of ‘A State of Siege.’
