Jonty Hendry
Chief Executive
Jonty takes care of how BATS runs and grows and brings all the tools to fly BATS to the future. He is the former Artistic Director of Dunedin’s Fortune Theatre and was previously Head of Acting and an Associate Director of Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School. Jonty is a strong advocate for the arts who is regularly called on for his skills in governance, moderation and advisory.
[email protected]
021 655 128
Dennis Eir Lim
Front of House Manager
Dennis (he/him) has performed in Te Whanganui-a-Tara for over 10 years. Recent credits include Watch Out Gay Panda, Rent and Hector. He has a BA and a Master of Fine Arts at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, and also works behind the-scenes on a variety of creative projects.
As the Front of House Manager he is passionate about healthy work practices and sustainability in the arts. Dennis identifies as a queer person of Chinese Cambodian descent - LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC representation is important to him and he believes that art can change the world for the better.
Lyndee-Jane Rutherford
Partnerships Manager
“It’s like coming home”, Lyndee-Jane says of her new role as Partnerships Manager at BATS. She brings with her thirty years experience in the theatre and TV industry and nearly ten years on the board at Circa Theatre. Her love of theatre and theatre artists has brought her back to BATS after working in the emergency services. She looks forward to creating new relationships and expanding on the connections she has.
India Worsnop
EVENTS & BAR MANAGER
India Worsnop (she/her, Waikato Tainui) is a freelance marketing designer, publicist and producer for theatre hailing from Tāmaki Makau-rau. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Theatre (2020-22), and more recently, a Master of Fine Arts in Theatre (2023-24), both from Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington. India has co-owned a Fringe Award-winning independent theatre company, Stuff & Things Theatre, since August 2020. Most recently, the company presented a sold-out, world-premiere adaptation of the 2015 film The Lobster at the 2024 Six Degrees Festival. As the Bar Manager, India ensures service runs smoothly, providing audiences with all the refreshments they need to enjoy the wonderful shows at BATS.
Eugénie Aran
ENGAGEMENT & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
Eugénie has lived in Pōneke for over 10 years, She previously studied Fine Arts and Mediation at a university in France and has recently graduated from a Marketing Diploma here in New Zealand.
She is stepping into the Com' & Marketing role, but she isn’t a total stranger to BATS, you may have spotted her wandering around with her camera, snapping some shots for our shows. When she’s not caught up in the magic of theatre, you’ll find her curating wardrobes as a Personal Shopper.
Sarai Perenise-Ropeti
Programming Coordinator
A longtime BATS whānau member, Sarai is back with us as our new Interim Programmer. Sarai first lit up our stage in 2021 with her debut play Brown Crown. In 2024, she took on the exciting role of Creative New Zealand x BATS Theatre Pacific Producer Resident, spending months diving deep into creative magic with the team. Most recently, Sarai’s been making waves as the Associate Producer for Capital E's National Theatre for Children and as Public Programmer for City Gallery Wellington.
Front of House Team
Our FOH team are a multi-talented bunch who you will see working at both the Box Office and bar:
- Rosie Glover
- Adriana Vasinca
- Dylan Hutton
- Simon Ulm
- Nathan King
- Lora Nankivell
- Anthony Baker
- June Van Griffin
- Samuel Brown
- Sam Hearps
- Louis Williamson-Nicholls
- Zody Takurua
The BATS Theatre Board
Our volunteer board members are awesome BATS advocates and provide a brilliant range of skills and experience that keep us flying steady.
If you'd like to contact the BATS Board about strategic or governance issues you can send an email to [email protected]. Correspondence is discussed bi-monthly at board meetings.
For urgent matters or issues relating to the day-to-day running of BATS, please contact the theatre office on (04) 802 4176 or email Chief Executive Jonty Hendry on [email protected].
Our Board Members.
- Cathie Sheat (Chair )
- Sarah Hutchings
- Prabha Ravi
- Nina Nawalowalo
- Zoe George
- Lucy Marinkovich
- Hone Kouka
