Horowhenua College school production has special member of crew arrive during rehearsal

Kai Smith and Ailiyah Wicks are part of a large cast that have banded together to put on a school production called Hair Spray - Junior.

A special behind-the-scenes member of a Horowhenua College production crew has been caught sleeping on the job numerous times through noisy rehearsals for their upcoming show Hair Spray Jnr.

It's okay though. Sophia McLean, was the newborn baby daughter of director and
Horowhenua College head of drama Samantha McLean.

Sophia was born on April 1 this year, just as the production was gearing up and hurtling towards opening night. For the most part, she had shown the ability to sleep through (almost) anything.

The arrival of Sophia had galvanised cast and crew to pitch in to make sure the show was a success and that the load on McLean was lightened.

Baby Sophia McLean sleeps through the dress rehearsal of the Horowhenua College production Hair Spray - Junior, ahead of opening night on June 8.

McLean said she was grateful for the effort from those crew members, students, teachers and parents who had stepped in to get the show ready for the stage on the occasions she was absent.

That included teacher Gray O'Brien who took over the role of director in McLean's absence, along with Yvonne Lane (costume) Lisa O'Brien (hair), Cathy Croad and Hermione Petterson (choreography) and Sophie Taylor (student director).

"Gary has done most of the work so I don't want the credit," she said.

Auditions were held last year and the cast and crew were in production since, gearing up in recent weeks with dress rehearsals.

McLean said the students warmly welcomed Sophia to the set when she arrived last month.

Samantha McLean with her baby daughter Sophia.

"The students have been amazing with her," she said.

Hair Spray Jnr opened this weekend with the first show on Saturday night and a matinee on Sunday, with three more shows booked for the following weekend.