Heads Down Thumbs Up
A girls Day Production. Written by Ruby Pledge, directed by Nosiphi Mapukata, Produced by Rongopai Tickell, Designed by Grace Newton, Produced by Ava Rassoul
Consumed in clouds of chaos, from the constant gospel of hot women online to the abundance of signs pointing left right and centre.
Everyone else seems to know which way to go? Or do they?
Heads down thumbs up is about the tension of having hope when you can't see what is in front of you
Content Warning
Swearing, sexual references, drug use and partial nudity. Haze & Flashing lights.
proudly supported by Purapura whetu trust
Creative Team
Nosiphi Mapukata - Director Valedictorian Creative arts at Massey and now the Director of Long Cloud Youth Theatre and has Directed and produced a number of successful short films and theatre shows.
Rongopai Tickell - Producer/performer after graduating Toi whakaari, she performed with Takirua in 2022, is a recipient of the Tūngia Baker scholarship for Māori actors and writers 2021, performed in Gravity and Grace by Eleanor Bishop and Karin McCracken, acted in Not Even by Dana Leaming and Ainsley Gardiner and directed She's Crowning by Murdoch keane and Peter Burman.
Grace Newton - Designer after graduating Toi Whakaari Grace has worked primarily with light across Wellington and Auckland. Recent credits include light design for Whole New Woman (2023), set design for QEIII:Black Betty(2023) at Centrepoint and working at as a general tech. at the Edinburgh Fringe 2023. She is the recipient of the Most Promising Emerging Artist award at the NZ Fringe festival 2023.
Ruby Pledge - Writer/performer Since Graduating Toi whakaari, Ruby has starred in CETOLOGY by Catherine Bisley screened at the NZIFF, acted in VLDL and most recently led short film 'The King' produced by Aislin Hook and Directed by Mirene Castelltort. Ruby is debuting her writing with this work, Heads Down Thumbs up.
Ava Rassoul - Producer is a current third year student at Toi, she has worked on short film Ma Moite, Jeckle and Hyde and Mimic Another directed by Ross McCormack.
Sibel Atalay - Sound Designer - Sound designer, is a Pōneke musician. Drummer of band, Maiden Name, and creator of sound for contemporary dance. This will be their first theatre project.
