Horowhenua StarOne of New Zealand’s best-known comedians is returning to her hometown of Levin for a stand-up show that will take her roaring down memory lane.
Michele A’Court will perform at Levin Little Theatre – where her love of performance began – while the theatre is right next to her old school, Horowhenua College.
Michele decided to do a show after being contacted by Heritage Horowhenua with the news she will soon be added to the town’s “Walk of Fame”, along with 11 other inductees, to be officially announced on March 2.
She was “surprised and delighted” about having her name added to the series of plaques in Oxford Street. After giving it some thought, she felt it was something her late parents, John and Donna A’Court, would have loved.
“And then it felt like a terrific idea to bring a show to the theatre where I saw my mother in plays so many times – often watching her from the wings rather than the audience – and where I first discovered that the place I feel most at home is on stage,” she said.
Michele is a familiar face after a long career in television, radio and live performance.
She is the author of two best-selling books, a weekly columnist for NZ Woman’s Weekly, and was made an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit for her contributions to the comedy industry.
She will headline a standup comedy show which also features husband Jeremy Elwood and local comedian Sera Devcich.
Elwood, who audiences will know from 7Days and The Project, has headlined comedy clubs across Australia, Canada, the US and New Zealand. His acting resume includes Brokenwood Mysteries and Shortland Street.
A’Court and Elwood have been a couple for 25 years. They married in Las Vegas.
“This won’t be the first time I’ve brought him home, but it will be a particularly special weekend,” she says. “And I am thrilled that Sera is joining us, too – she’s a brilliant comedian. We’ve all known each other for years, and I love it that she’s part of the local community.”
Audiences can expect two hours of standup comedy from the trio covering world politics, personal politics, parenting and social observations.
“All of us have things to say about the world right now – and the goal, as always, is to send people home feeling better than they did before the curtain went up,” she says.
The tongue-in-cheek show title, Homecoming Queen, has given her a chance to dust off her tiara.
“I’d be delighted if people in the audience also wore tiaras – we need to grab every opportunity to sparkle right now. I have spare tiaras for Sera and Jeremy – no pressure, though.”
Michele was born at Levin Maternity Hospital in 1961. She attended the Levin Playcentre, Levin North School, Levin Intermediate, and Horowhenua College, graduating at the end of 1978.
Her parents were active in the community – John with the Levin Lions Club and Donna with the Levin Little Theatre as an actor and also as a committee member.
Michele inherited a love of theatre and performance from her mother. One of her first forays onto the Little Theatre stage was in 1969 playing a cat in a production of Dick Whittington.
“My most delightful memories are of watching my mother on stage, hanging out in the dressing rooms backstage and being allowed to explore the wardrobe and prop departments…
“The theatre was always a magical place for me. I learned then that the best view in any theatre was from the stage.”
In 1979, Michèle moved to Wellington to study journalism, then completed a bachelor of arts degree in English and drama at Victoria University
Michèle first came to national attention as the host of award-winning children’s TV show, What Now? and The Video Dispatch in the 1980s. She has worked on screen ever since, appearing on the hit comedy show 7 Days and as a guest host on The Project.
She has written two bestselling books: Stuff I Forgot to Tell My Daughter (2015) and How We Met (2018). She has written a weekly column since 2008 – first for Stuff and more recently for the NZ Woman’s Weekly.
Michele, Jeremy and Sera take the stage at Levin Little Theatre on March 1.
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