Jacqueline Coats is a theatre director based in New Zealand who has worked in both opera and children's theatre, she has worked for various organisations including the New Zealand Festival, New Zealand Opera and Victorian Opera (Melbourne).

Jacqueline Coats
CitizenshipNew Zealand
EducationMTA (2002) from Victoria University of Wellington & Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School
Occupation(s)Director of theatre and opera

Biography

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Coats is educated from the University of Idaho, and in 2002 graduated with a Master of Theatre Arts in Directing from Victoria University of Wellington and Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School.[1][2] She also has a postgraduate diploma in Arts Education Management from the University of Leeds.[3] She was a singer in the New Zealand Youth Choir, and has been an actor and a singer.[4]

She has been directing NZ Opera's touring Opera in Schools programme since 2015.[5] 

Children's theatre companies she has worked for include Little Dog Barking, the theatre company of the Peter Wilson (who died in 2021),[3] and Capital E National Theatre for Children.[6] A very popular touring production for children by Capital E that Coats directed is Seasons in 2021 first created by Peter Wilson, Laughton Pattrick (who died in 2020) and Jenny Pattrick in 2000 and Coats was one of the performers.[7] This production honoured the memory of Peter Wilson and Laughton Pattrick.[8]

Coats received the Peter Lees-Jeffries Memorial Scholarship from the Dame Malvina Major Foundation in 2018 for professional development[9] and the Pettman DARE Fellowship at Opera North, University of Leeds in 2019.[5]

In 2020 Coats directed a concert at the Whanganui Royal Opera House in her role as Stagecraft Director with the New Zealand Opera School.[10]

In 2021 Coats directed the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's annual Opera in Concert at the Auckland Town Hall.[11]

Awards

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1997 - Most Original Production, Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for Bent by Martin Sherman

2014 - Director of the Year, Dunedin Theatre Awards for This Other Eden.[4][12]

Credits

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Directing credits include:
Date Title Form Production Cast Ref.
2009 The Cunning Little Vixen opera [13]
2014 This Other Eden theatre by Anthony Richie and Michelanne Forster for Opera Otago [4]
2014 Noye’s Fludde opera Produced by New Zealand Opera [13]
2016 La Traviata opera Co-directed with Kate Cherry, produced by New Zealand Opera [14]
2016 Little Kowhai Tree theatre By Peter Wilson, produced by Little Dog Barking Theatre Company [15]
2017 Songs of the Sea theatre By Peter Wilson, produced by Capital E [6]
2018 La Bohème opera By Puccini [14]
2018 The Two Gentlemen of Verona theatre Shakespeare, for Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. [4]
2019 The Barber of Seville opera Capital E Festival [13]
2020 Voices Love Opera opera Written by Coats from various operas for Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir Catrin Johnsson, Albert Mata'afa, Morag Atchison, Andrew Grenon [4][16]
2021 Seasons theatre Written by Peter Wilson, music by Laughton Pattrick, lyrics by Jenny Pattrick, produced by Capital E Mia Alonso-Green, Dominic Flanagan, Flora Dryburgh [8]

References

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  1. ^ "Opera School Welcomes Jacqueline Coats to Direct Great Opera Moments". Welcome to the New Zealand Opera School. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  2. ^ Guest, Bill (2010). Transitions : four decades of Toi Whakaari : New Zealand Drama School. Ginny Sullivan, Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School. Wellington [N.Z.]: Victoria University Press. ISBN 978-0-86473-642-0. OCLC 669968400.
  3. ^ a b "Children's Theatre | Little Dog Barking Theatre Company | New Zealand". Little Dog Barking. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Get to know our Director: Jacqueline Coats". Voices NZ - Choirs Aoteoroa. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Jacqueline Coats". NZ OPERA. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Songs of the Sea » WHIRINAKI WHARE TAONGA". www.expressions.org.nz. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  7. ^ "SEASONS – Circa Theatre". Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b "SEASONS - Joyous and informative". TheatreView. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Scholarships". Dame Malvina Major Foundation. 15 May 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Jacqueline Coats teaches opera students the moves". NZ Herald. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Stage Director Jacqueline Coats on 'Fidelio'". RNZ. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  12. ^ "This Other Eden". Opera Otago. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  13. ^ a b c "Five Favourites with Opera Director Jacqueline Coats". RNZ. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  14. ^ a b "Jacqueline Coats, Stage director". Operabase. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Little Kowhai Tree touring early childhood centres and schools". PAYPA - Performing Arts and Young People in Aotearoa. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Voices Love Opera is a choral concert of operatic proportions". RNZ. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2022.