Our Team
NATALIE WRIGHT - Director
Speech & Drama, Acting & Screen Acting
Natalie has a significant background in acting, singing and public speaking. Notable film, television and theatre experience includes roles in Shortland Street (Core cast member), Xena, The God Boy (Auckland Theatre Company) and Anne of Green Gables (Auckland Children's Theatre).
Natalie also has a close association with local theatre groups, having been awarded a Zony Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Linda in the Stage Right Production of Blood Brothers and, most recently, for her portrayal of Madame Morrible in the Tauranga Musical Theatre production of Wicked.
Along with her performing credits, Natalie has also been on the creative team as Director of The Little Mermaid Jr and Ladies Night.
Natalie launched her business Wright Performance in autumn 2018 and has never looked back.
Natalie holds her ATCL from Trinity College London for Speech & Drama
ELISE ROHDE - Director
Elise was performing as soon as she could walk. Making her debut in Madame Butterfly at age four, she has been an integral part of the Tauranga Performing Arts scene since.
During her 30 plus years in the industry, she has participated in more than 150 shows, often as a member of the creative team or as a mentor to youth.
Notable onstage roles include Gary Coleman in Avenue Q, which earned her a Zony nomination for Leading Actress, and The Baker's Wife in Into The Woods.
Elise has worked in almost every department of musical theatre both as a volunteer and in corporate entertainment, focusing mainly on sound engineering and music roles (which she believes go hand in hand for any great performance). In 2019, she was awarded the Zony for Best Sound Design for her involvement in the Tauranga Musical Theatre production of Heathers.
Elise has also musical directed more than 40 productions, most recently earning Zony nominations for Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, Rock of Ages, Heathers, Jekyll & Hyde & Wicked, for which she was awarded the Zony for Best Vocal Direction of a Musical.
Elise was proudly awarded a life membership to Tauranga Musical Theatre for her services to committee, youth and as President for many years. She currently serves on the National Executive for Musical Theatre New Zealand as Vice President.
Musical Theatre & Singing
AMY VAN LEEUWEN - Tutor
Speech & Drama, Acting & Musical Theatre
Amy is a multi-talented tutor who has trained in dance, musical theatre, and speech & drama, achieving her ATCL in 2023.
Amy was nominated for Nationals in 2023 for both musical theatre and speech & drama, and is regularly involved in local productions, most recently Matilda, In The Heights, Jekyll & Hyde, Rent and Cats.
Amy is a kind and nurturing tutor, working to get the best out of her students.
Amy is currently working towards her ATCL Diploma in Musical Theatre to boot!
HANNAH LEE - Tutor
Musical Theatre
Hannah Lee is a trained early childhood teacher by day and a dedicated, active member of the performing arts community in Tauranga by night.
Hannah serves as Vice President of Tauranga Musical Theatre and from her many years as a leader and director of the Tauranga Musical Theatre Youth Group, she brings a wealth of experience and understanding.
Hannah is also a performer in her own right, having been seen recently on stage in Disco Inferno, That Bloody Woman and Les Miserables.
TIFFANY JOHNSTON - Tutor
Mums & Bubs, Senior Musical Theatre & Singing
Tiffany has over a decade of experience and training in musical theatre, with most recent credits including Glinda in Wicked (Tauranga Musical Theatre), The Revlon Girl in The Revlon Girl (16th Avenue Theatre), Maria in Love’s Labour’s Lost (Summer Shakespeare Tauranga) Allison in First Dates (Stage Right Trust) and Maureen in RENT (Tauranga Musical Theatre).
Tiffany is a student at IVA: Institute of Vocal Development, working towards becoming an internationally qualified singing teacher.
Along with theatre, Tiffany has also dabbled in television and appeared on Shortland Street and Power Rangers.
She is a working makeup artist skilled in TV, theatre and film makeup and a trained ballet dancer. She is also a qualified primary and special education teacher and spent six years running theatre sports at weekend camps under the Parent to Parent charity.
Her special interests include acting through song and healthy vocal technique.
Aadit is a multi-faceted performer and a rising star in the Performing Arts in New Zealand.
In 2023 Aadit was the youngest nominee for musical theatre at the National Youth Performing Arts awards, and recently took out the coveted prize of the National Shakespeare School Nomination at the 2024 BOP Regional Sheilah Winn Shakespeare festival.
In 2023 Aadit won the Best Supporting Actor in a Youth Musical Award at the Zony Awards. Recent on-stage highlights include Baker in Into The Woods (WRAPA), Spongebob in Spongebob The Musical (Otumoetai College) and Bruce in Matilda (Tauranga Musical Theatre)
Aadit has been studying Speech & Drama and Singing with Wright Rohde Theatre for seven years and gaining Distinction at every level in both art forms.
Needless to say, we are thrilled to have Aadit assisting some classes at WRAPA.
Drama
AADIT TANDON - Assistant Tutor
JACOB WEST - Assistant Tutor
Musical Theatre
Jacob is no stranger to the stage in Tauranga, having been performing since he could walk.
Notable roles include The Baker in Into The Woods Jr (WRAPA), Jack Kelly in Newsies Jr (TMT), Dewey Finn in School of Rock (Bethlehem College) and Michael Banks in Mary Poppins (TMT).
Jacob has been studying Speech & Drama, Classical Voice, Musical Theatre and Ballet for 7 years and is known to be an energetic, committed and passionate young performer and mentor for his peers.
In 2023 Jacob was a National Nominee for both Speech & Drama and Musical Theatre.
Jacob also volunteers his spare time to volunteering and contributing to the arts in the region as a Sound Designer and as a mentor to the youth.
We are thrilled to have Jacob assisting with some classes and being a champion for young men wishing to enter the world of performing arts.