Deborah Nudds – Theatre Manager
Deborah has worked at the theatre from February 2014, when the One Victoria Trust took over. As Theatre Manager her role covers the programming and operations of the venue and also covers communications with audience and productions alike. She loves how each show and event brings its own magic and diversity to the Meteor. Always approachable, Deborah aims to find solutions to problems and is here to help all who use the theatre.
Deborah has an extensive background in the local café and food scene, having started and run some successful long-lived ventures over the years, including the iconic Metropolis Caffe (1991) and is co-owner of Scoff (2001). Deborah spent several years as a Hamilton Community Arts Councillor and has enduring interest in all the Arts but has a special love for the spoken word. Deborah is the creator and director of the Toi Wāhine Festivals (2018 & 2019).
Guy Coker – Technical and Operations Manager
Guy always loves a good bit of problem solving. With many years of industry experience, he’s always up for a challenge. Since the age of 8 he has been playing guitar along with other instruments including bass and drums. Playing in a couple of bands was his gateway into the industry. At a very young age Guy began working with companies such as Drury Lane & ACLX. Once Guy was old enough, he got a casual technician role at H3 and began taking on more freelance work. This has included working as a Stage Manager/Backline Tech for bands like Katchafire, Kora and Sons of Zion. After working on a multitude of different events be it in a Pub, Theatre, Festival or Stadium he was hooked. When Guy saw the opportunity to join the awesome team at the Meteor in 2017 he jumped at the chance. He loves working with everyone who comes into the space. Whether it be a community, corporate, or professional event Guy is always ready to make it happen.
Karena Hall – Operations Coordinator
Karena loves all things creative. She loves to immerse herself through creative projects and help bring them to life. Having worked at Disney World, as an Attractions Host, and at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki as the Visitor Experience Manager, Karena comes with a wealth of knowledge in working with local, national and international artists. In these previous roles, she worked to create outstanding experiences for manuhiri from all over the motu and the globe.
Karena comes with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Classical Studies from Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University of Wellington. When Karena is not facilitating arts experiences for the public, she is often found enjoying live music, spending time with whānau and trying new food.
James Smith – Front of House Operations Manager
James gets called a Swiss-army knife of a person often, and it’s a claim not without merit. Having been around the community since birth, James has learnt and developed skills in a range of theatrical capacities. After attaining a Master of Arts with First Class Honours in Theatre Studies at the University of Waikato, James has worked as: an nationally and internationally touring ASM, the Creative Director of their company Infinite Monkey with whom they took their one-person show to Wellington in 2022, and countless other technical, production, and performing roles around the local theatre community.
They began volunteering here at The Meteor in 2018, and soon became everyone’s favourite, and a popular face among many attendees of the venue, officially joining the team in 2022
Emma Curphey – Marketing Assistant
Emma is no stranger to the theatre scene. Growing up in Russia, she heavily studied Russian literature and poetry, including performing in school productions of “The Stone Guest”, “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” among other Russian classics. She also studied and performed traditional Indian dance Bharatanatyam for 6 years. Since moving to New Zealand in 2020, Emma graduated from Waikato University with Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Marketing. She also had the privilege of being a part of the events team for the 2024 “Balloons over Waikato” before joining our team.
When not at work, Emma enjoys a cheeky evening cuddled up with Netflix (at this point, they should just sponsor her). She is also a plants parent, Nespresso coffee enthusiast and bookworm. Emma is excited to be a part of the Aotearoa theatre scene by helping upcoming productions promote their shows at our venue.