Professional Summary.
John studied the art of acting at Toi Whakaari- The New Zealand Drama School. Following his training he went on to perform for 10 years with Red Mole Enterprises in New Zealand, Mexico, the U.S.A and England. In 1984 he made the first of four study trips to the Kongoh Noh Theatre in Kyoto and has subsequently presented four original Noh Plays as director of the New Zealand Noh Theatre Company. He worked as Assistant Director for NBR New Zealand Opera before becoming a Theatre Studies lecturer at the University of Waikato. From 2002 he worked in partnership with local composers writing libretto and directing original opera productions. In 2010 he was appointed Curriculum Leader of the undergraduate degree in Acting for Stage and Screen at Unitec. Since 2020 he has returned to free-lance work as a director of opera, tutor, writer and performer.
Directing OPERA
2024
Opera Scenes Undergraduate and Graduate Vocal Program presented at Gallagher Concert Chamber, University of Waikato.
Verdi Meets Puccini Semi-staged opera at Due Drop Event Centre Manukau and Auckland Town Hall. Auckland Opera Studio/Manukau Symphony Orchestra production.
Opera in the Cathedral Semi-staged opera highlights with TANZOS Opera Training program.
2023
Dido and Aeneas (Purcell) University of Waikato Conservatorium of Music
Opera In The Cathedral Recital TANZOS Singers. Selected aria. Pianist Terence Dennis
Gianni Schicchi restaged in Medici Court for Hamilton Arts Festival.
2021
New Zealand Opera - Director Ihitai ‘Avei’a - Star Navigator (Tim Finn) 19 - 20 March 2021.
2013
The Juniper Passion (Michael Williams.) Librettist/Producer/Director. World premier season 21 - 26 June Teatro Roma Monte Cassino, Italy.
2009
The Secret Suffragette (David Griffiths) Academy Performing Arts, University of Waikato.
2006
The White Lady (David Griffiths.) Academy of Performing Arts, University of Waikato.
The Prodigal Child (Michael Williams) Fuel Festival. Academy of Performing Arts University of Waikato.
2005
3 Franks (David Griffiths) Director and Librettist Academy of Performing Arts University of Waikato
2004
The Woman From Moab (David Griffiths) Director and Dramaturg. Academy of Performing Arts University of Waikato
2003
Dido and Aeneas (Purcell) Academy of Performing Arts University of Waikato.
2002
Galileo (John Rimmer) Maidment Theatre University of Auckland.
Carmen (Georges Bizet) Opera Waikato Founders Theatre, Hamilton.
2001
Manon (Jules Massenet) Assistant Director New Zealand Opera, St James Wellington, Aotea Centre Auckland.
2000
Madama Butterfly (Giacomo Puccini) Assistant Director New Zealand Opera, Civic Theatre Auckland.
Suor Angelica (Giacomo Puccini) Opera Factory, New Market Auckland.
1999/1998/1997/1996 Opera Showcase Maidment Theatre University of Auckland.
Directing THEATRE
2024
Current work with Glass Ceiling Collective to create a new musical play. Tutor/Director/Playwright
I Contain Multitudes, Original Solo Play Season at Artworks Theatre Waiheke Island. 12 participants. Tutor/Director
2019
Te Pakkhai, an adaption of The Bacchae in Maori and English. Dramaturg/Producer/Director Unitec Performing and Screen Arts.
2016
Away by Michael Gow. Unitec Performing and Screen Arts
2015
Serious Money by Caryl Churchill. Unitec Performing and Screen Arts
2014
Widows by Ariel Dorfman. Unitec Performing and Screen Arts.
2013
Cloud Street by Tim Winton. Unitec Performing and Screen Arts
2012
Skellig by David Almond Unitec Performing and Screen Arts
2010
Pentecost by David Edgar. Unitec Performing and Screen Arts.
Fragments of Sappho Interdisciplinary: Unitec Performing and Screen Arts
One Hundred Percent Mortality Academy of Performing Arts University of Waikato.
2009
The Blue Shawl, Noh Play writer, director, performer. Te Aomarama Festival February 12th.
The Blue Shawl Noh Play at Okta Concert October.
2008
The Juniper Passion Libretto. Composition Michael Williams
Early draft ‘Okta’ Concert.
The Blue Shawl Noh Play Playwright, director 2008 Fuel Festival.
The Blue Shawl Noh Play Te Aomarama Festival Whaingaroa/Raglan
2007
The Full Catastrophe, Director Academy of Performing Arts. University of Waikato
Fluid Echoes Masked dancer. Director Karen Barbour.
2006
Swamp Treasures Meteor Theatre Hamilton Fuel Festival June.
Bungamucka Academy of Performing Arts, University of Waikato
2005
Bliss University of Waikato, Academy of Performing Arts.
2004
The Buried Life University of Waikato, Academy of Performing Arts
2003
Lupin University of Waikato, Academy of Performing Arts.
2002
Garden of the Heart, University of Waikato. Academy of Performing Arts.
2001
The Conference of the Birds by Peter Brook. Century Theatre Napier.
2000 The White Room Multi Media. Unitec Performing and Screen Arts
The Trojan Women, Southern Cross Campus, Mangere Auckland.
Collabora Banda Multi Media, Unitec Performing and Screen Arts.
Reunion by Geoff Clendon Southern Cross Campus
There Is A Season, Drama Factory, Howick.
1999 Generic 500, Multi Media Unitec Performing and Screen Arts
The Dazzling Night, by Rachel McAlpine Le Mata Theatre, Auckland.
1998 Te Ao Marama, Unitec Performing and Screen Arts.
1997 He Tangata Hou, Tour of Bay of Plenty.
Macbeth, Mac Duff Prometheus Productions, Singapore. Numerous other roles as part of touring schedule.
1996 The Silent Scream, Director, Westpoint Theatre Auckland
Don Quixote, Unitec Performing and Screen Arts.
1995 1001 Arabian Nights, Unitiec Performing and Screen Arts
The Taiaha and the Testament, Waipapa Marae, Auckland University.
Kaberet, Unitec Performing and Screen Arts.
1994 The Stolen Goddess Uxbridge Theatre Howick.
Hobbs; The Shaping of a Nation, Centennial Theatre Auckland.
Rakiura, by Eilleen Phillipp Noh Play St Mathews in the City, Auckland.
1993 Rakiura, Auckland Town Hall.
Twisted Circus, Folk Arts Festival, Rotorua.
1992 Twisted Circus, Galaxy Theatre Auckland, Aotea Centre.
1991 The Easter Passion, St Luke’s Parrish, Auckland City.
1990 Tricky Business, Co-director/musician Northland Youth Theatre.
1989 Gaia, Dance Drama Maidment Theatre, Auckland.
1987 Play Without a Title, Maidment Theatre, University of Auckland.
1985 Happy-o-kai Street Theatre. Fiesta Festival Queen Street, Auckland.
ACTING
2024 National Tour of Te Tupua-The Goblin Solo Play Produced by Arts On Tour NZ.
20 performances.
2020 The Panthers TVNZ Character Bill Rowling
2015 Abandoned The Rose Noelle Story. Television feature Premier Films. Detective. Broadcast TV1 August 29th
2014 Ride Film by Karyn Childs Bella Films. Undertaker
2013 Reservations Film Brian
Sky TV commercial Grandad
2012 Fridays Tigers Film by Aidee Walker. Notable Pictures Dr Hammond
2011 Spartacus STARZ Films. Drunkard
2007 Shortland Street TVNZ. Phillip Gemmell, Chairman.
2005 Shortland Street TVNZ. A Surgeon.
2003 Te Tupua-The Goblin, Solo Play Playwright, Performer. The New Festival, Rotorua.
Te Tupua-The Goblin, Meteor Theatre Hamilton
1998 The Crucible, Rev Parris Prometheus Productions, Singapore.
Macbeth, MacDuff, Prometheus Productions Singapore.
The Jungle Book, Musical Father Wolf, Court Theatre Christchurch.
Tenko and Mondori Inter-Cultural Multi-Media Actor/Dancer. North Island Tour.
1996 Tooth and Nail Roz Gardner. Tour of Auckland Secondary Schools.
1987 The Lorax, Dramadillo Theatre Co, Symphony Space, Auckland.
Dramadillo’s Guide To Life, tour New Zealand.
Dramadillo Live, Street Theatre Arts Festival, Brisbane Australia.
Where the Wild Things Are New Zealand Puppet Theatre, Auckland Town Hall.
1986 Oedipus Rex, Dance Drama His Majesties Cabaret, Wellington.
1985 Happy-o-kai Street Theatre. Fiesta Festival Queen Street, Auckland.
Origins Dance Company Choreographer, musician. Maidment Theatre, University of Auckland and Northland Tour.
Angels on Horseback, by Trevor Griffiths Maidment Theatre, University of Auckland.
1976-1985 Red Mole Enterprises. eight years of International Touring. 35 productions. Actor/singer/songwriter, mask maker, puppeteer.
1975-1976 Student at Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School.
1974 Canterbury Tales Squire. Court Theatre Christchurch.
Much Ado About Nothing, Barrachio Court Theatre Christchurch.
The Pongo Plays, Pongo. The Court Theatre Christchurch.
PUBLICATIONS/PAPERS
2020 Let’s Ride The John Davies Band. 12 track song album.
2013 The Juniper Passion. Libretto. Atoll Records. Composer Michael Williams.
2011. The Walls of Troy. Libretto Composer David Griffiths.
Book Chapter. Davies, J. The Audience Are Stones Performing Aotearoa: New Zealand Theatre and Drama in an Age of Transition. P.I.E. Peter Lang. ISSN 1376-3199. 2007. pp 391-403.
Journal Articles
Davies, J. Aesthetics and Didactic Intention; The Meeting Place of Beauty and Information Transmission in the 2006 Community Theatre Production of Swamp Treasures. Karen Barbour Waikato Journal of Education Vol. 13, 2007 pp 139-147.
Davies, J. Meeting the Dead Onstage: Noh Theatre and its Solution. Sarah Shieff and Ralph Crane, Katherine Mansfield-Stories and Pictures. Department of English, Occasional Paper No 2, Dept English Occasional papers, No 2, University of Waikato, ISS1176-2837. 2003, pp 31-39.
Davies, J. Universality and Specificity, Making Drama from Personal Myth and Point of View. Australasian Drama Studies Association (A.D.S.A.) , Mary-Ann Hunter, Geoffrey Milne. Australasian Drama Studies Vol. 47. October 2005. Pp 105-120
Invited Addresses
2011 Davies, J. The Juniper Passion an ANZAC opera. Waikato University Alumni seminar series. St Mathews in the City. Auckland
Davies, J. Intercultural Playmaking Aotearoa/ New Zealand Playwrights Conference, Playmarket. University of Waikato.
2005 Davies,J. Rakiura: New Zealand’s First Noh Play. New Zealand/Asia Conference. University of Waikato
2014 Davies, J. Restoring classical practice: An Operatic gift from the New World to the Old. 2014 ADSA Conference. Restoring Balance Ecology Sustainability Performance. Victoria University
2011 Davies. J. Reverse Transnational Flow: Red Mole in New York 1979. Australasian Drama Studies Transcultural. Transnational. Transformation. Seeing, writing and reading performance across cultures. Monash University
2008 Davies,J. Hana & Mana: Noh Theatre in the Context of Aotearoa. Australasian Drama Studies Turangawaewae: A Sense of Place. Otago University
2007 Davies,J. Aesthetics and Didactic Intention: Community Theatre and its Modal Interface with Common Beauty. At Extreme States, Australasian Drama Studies Conference, La Troube University and University of Melbourne.
2005 Davies,J. The Audience Are Stones at New Zealand/Asia Conference, University of Waikato.
2004 Davies, J. Te Tupua-The Goblin. Performance/seminar. Australasian Drama Studies Conference Listening to the Image. Victoria University.
1998 Davies, J. Chalk and Cheese. Creating Performance from Cultural Encounter. Australasian Drama Studies Conference. University of Waikato.
AWARDS.
2016 Higer Education Authority. Excellence in Curriculum Design Award
2014 Excellence in Tertairy Teaching. Sustained Excellence. Ako Aotearoa. Presented NZ Parlament
2013 Nomination for National Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award.
2012 Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Unitec Award