As a young performer, Bishop (nee Stuart) spent many hours at the Mayfair Theatre, performing with Opera Otago, assisting her mother, Robyn Stuart, in her role as production manager and helping out with cleaning the theatre.
Bishop went on to study with Honor McKellar QSM at Otago University before performing in Les Miserables in 1994 and The Merry Widow in 1995.
She then left Dunedin to further her training in Nelson and finally settled in Auckland.
In January, Bishop will be back at the Mayfair with her company, StageAntics, to offer young performers aged 11-18 years the chance to take part in an exciting week-long pilot of a musical title from Music Theatre Internationals Broadway Junior catalogue.
Broadway Junior shows are musicals adapted for student performers by iTheatrics (NY) and Music Theatre International, with the aim of making them more accessible.
The Summer Pilot Programmes are co-ordinated by StageAntics in association with Musical Theatre International Australasia.
Producers Bishop and Mark Bradley will also act as director and music director respectively.
Bishop has more than 25 years of experience as an arts educator and practitioner, and is the president of Drama NZ, co-chair of the National Arts in Education Alliance, an executive member of Musical Theatre NZ, as well as Junior Theatre NZ national co-ordinator.
Bradley is an Auckland-based music director and pianist who has played for many international touring productions.
The pilot programmes offer young people who love musicals the opportunity to be part of a process that mirrors the demands of developing a musical in the professional theatre world.
Rehearsals are fast-paced and intense, running from January 17 and culminating in a staged presentation of the shows on January 21 at The Mayfair.
For more information, visit the website www.stageantics.nz, www.facebook.com/StageAntics.NZ, or stageantics.nz on Instagram.
