Honoured TV script writer Rachel Lang's passion for theatre traces back to her Napier youth

WRITE ON: Former Colenso High School student Rachel Lang was awarded an MNZM in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to television. PHOTO/FILE

Multiple award-winning television scriptwriter and Shortland Street anchor Rachel Lang's Queen's Birthday Honours MNZM is being celebrated by her parents in Napier where her theatre career started more than 40 years ago.

Ms Lang, who turns 57 today, arrived in New Zealand from England with parents John and Josie in 1974 and almost immediately became interested in theatre during about three years at Colenso High School (now William Colenso College) and at the Napier Repertory Players Little Theatre in McGrath St.

But her mum and dad aren't claiming any particular part of the success other than being the parents. Former Hawke's Bay Catchment Board and Regional Council staff member Mr Lang was yesterday unable to recall any other thespian bent in the family.

Rachel Lang has one sister and two brothers, her sister best known as veteran soccer player Ruth Katene, still playing at the age of 53.

"We're low-profile people," her father said.

Rachel Lang left school to study languages at Victoria University and, having had a brief holiday stint at the Hawke's Bay Herald Tribune, included some time at journalism school before finally embarking on the career which made her a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to television.

Cutting her teeth on crime series Shark in the Park at the end of the 1980s, she became first New Zealand story editor, writer and executive producer of Shortland Street, and perhaps more-famously co-creator and writer of the hit series Outrageous Fortune, along with another from Hawke's Bay, former Karamu High School, Hastings, pupil James Griffin.

The series won her three Qantas Film and Television awards for best script, but she has been involved in numerous other productions including Go Girls, This Is Not My Life, Mercy Peak, Nothing Trivial, The Blue Rose and Filthy Rich.

She was also one of the head writers for Margaret Mahy child fantasy series Maddigan's Quest, and abroad she was involved in creating Australian drama Hyde and Seek and writing for CBBC in Britain.