Eryn and Simon Cannell in front of Coasters Musical Theatre.
Eryn and Simon Cannell in front of Coasters Musical Theatre.
Two cast members in Coasters Musical Theatre’s latest production are newlyweds in their first show together.
Simon and Eryn Cannell are among the cast of Ordinary Days which will be performed at the Paraparaumu-based theatre.
It has been a busy time for the couple from tying the knot, and going on a honeymoon, to preparing for the musical which tells the story of four young New Yorkers whose lives are unexpectedly interconnected by circumstance.
“The really special thing is that we get to hang out together doing something we both love, and we get to experience the process of finding the characters and sharing their stories together,” Simon said.
“It’s also quite cool not playing opposite each other because then we get to watch each other working, and being able to see the process and the characters develop is neat.”
Eryn said seeing “the tricky bits that get worked on over and over at home being nailed in the rehearsal room” was “awesome”.
“We’re working with a phenomenal team on this show too, and seeing the work that goes in at home to bring a really strong piece of theatre is so satisfying.”
The pair met in New Plymouth, where Eryn lived between 2014 and 2016, and were friends from the get-go with lots in common and a similar sense of humour.
Newlyweds Eryn and Simon Cannell will be on stage for the first time together for Coasters Musical Theatre's production of Ordinary Days.
“When I moved back to Wellington, we got even closer and eventually Simon moved down and we made it official.
“We’ve been together seven years since then, got engaged in 2022 at the family bach Simon’s great grandfather built, which was also the first place Simon said he loved me so it’s a special place for us, and got married on April 2 this year.”
Both enjoyed theatre and had been involved since they were children – Eryn in Wellington and Simon in New Plymouth.
“I’ve been all over Wellington with shows, from Wellington Musical Theatre to Porirua Little Theatre, to Hutt City Musical Theatre and everything in between,” Eryn said.
“My favourite roles to date have been Mary Poppins at Coasters in 2021, Carrie in the New Zealand premiere of Carrie The Musical with theatre company Witch in 2017, and Mary Robert in the Australasian premiere of Sister Act with New Plymouth Operatic Society in 2016.
“My absolute favourite theatre to perform in is the Wellington Opera House – it really is my favourite place.
Simon started out doing plays during college before getting involved in musicals with New Plymouth Operatic.
“I played primarily ensemble roles, however, my last show with them was Mary Poppins in 2017 where I played Bert.
“Since moving to Wellington I’ve gone back to plays with Stagecraft, performing in a number of shows including playing Algernon Moncrieff in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.”
