Hector

HECTOR

Written by Cadence Chung

Hector Berlioz, the 19th-century French composer, and Hector Wong, Chinese Wellingtonian, inexplicably find themselves in a room together. What else are they to do but talk to each other?

Hector is a short play written by poet Cadence Chung, co-directed by Hazel Perigo-Blackburn and Lewis Thomson, alongside stage manager Jackson McCarthy.

The play follows just two characters - Hector Berlioz and Hector Wong - and their attempts to find some commonalities despite the centuries between them. Travelling through many scenarios and eras, the two loosely catalogue their lives, in a dialectic style reminiscent of a Platonic dialogue.

Witty, acerbic, hilarious, and deeply poetic, this play explores how we interact with historical canons in the modern era, and shares personal experiences about racism, identity, and gender roles in contemporary Aotearoa.

Cadence Chung, Hazel Perigo-Blackburn, and Lewis Thomson are all university students and young performers, now operating under their newly-formed production company Hebe Productions. They aim to showcase the vibrancy of emerging directors, writers, and performers. Their previous show In Blind Faith debuted to a sold-out season and national news coverage.

CONTENT WARNING - Discussions of racism and adult themes.

CREATIVE TEAM

Director - Hazel Perigo-Blackburn

Hazel Perigo-Blackburn is an actor, director, and scriptwriter. She has been involved in acting clubs and drama classes her whole life and is currently in her third year of a double degree of Film and English Literature at Victoria University. In 2021, her film Marum Chechil made it into the top 5 Secondary Schools in Wellington in the 48 Hour. She was the director for both the Wellington High School and BATS seasons of the musical In Blind Faith.

Founding Member/Actor - Lewis Thomson

Lewis Thomson is an actor and director, currently in studying at Victoria University. He acted in a piece in the SGCNZ Sheila Winn festival nationals which won three awards, and has participated in the Wellington Young Actors' programme. In March 2022, Lewis entered the Fringe Festival with his emerging theatre group you be good i love you, debuting their show Tigers Can't Change Their Stripes. He also played Percy/Penny in the Wellington High School production of In Blind Faith. In this production, he will be playing Hector Berlioz, alongside co-star Dennis Eir Lim, who is playing Hector Wong.

Writer - Cadence Chung

Cadence Chung is a poet, mezzo-soprano, and composer, currently studying at the New Zealand School of Music. Her nationally-bestselling chapbook anomalia was released in April 2022 with Tender Press. She also performs as a classical soloist, presents on RNZ Concert, and co-edits Symposia Magazine, a literary journal for emerging New Zealand writers. In 2023, she was named an Emerging Practioner by the Fund for Acting and Musical Endeavours.

Stage Manager/Dramaturg - Jackson McCarthy

Jackson McCarthy is a poet and musician from Auckland currently studying in Wellington. He is of mixed Māori and Lebanese descent. He was a finalist for the Schools Poetry Award 2021, and was recently one of the Starling Micro-Residents at the New Zealand Young Writers Festival 2023.