Miriama McDowell is a New Zealand actor, director and playwright. She is a graduate of Toi Whakaari. McDowell has a long association with Massive Theatre Company in Auckland, and has both acted and directed for the

Pop-up Globe Pop-up Globe was a New Zealand theatre production company, based in Auckland, New Zealand. It produced Jacobean theatre, particularly the works of Shakespeare, in specially-built temporary replicas of the second Globe, the theatre Shakespeare a ...

, including directing a Pasifika-inspired ''Much Ado About Nothing'' which was revived for the Pop-Up Globe's final season, and an all-female version of ''Emilia''. She co-wrote ''Cellfish'' and has appeared in numerous stage plays, including ''Romeo and Juliet'' and ''Astroman''. Television appearances include ''

Shortland Street ''Shortland Street'' is a New Zealand Prime time, prime-time soap opera centring on the fictitious Shortland Street Hospital. The show was first broadcast on TVNZ 2 on 25 May 1992 and is New Zealand's longest-running drama and soap opera, be ...

'', '' Outrageous Fortune'', ''

The Brokenwood Mysteries ''The Brokenwood Mysteries'' is a New Zealand television detective drama series that premiered on Prime (now Sky Open) in 2014. Each of the first six series comprises four episodes. From Series 7, seasons were extended to six episodes. The progr ...

'', anthology series ''Taonga'', ''Interrogation'', ''Hope and Wire'', ''Head High'', and ''Find Me a Māori Bride''. McDowell's film roles include '' No. 2'', '' The Dark Horse'', '' This is Not My Life'', ''The Great Maiden's Blush'', and horror film ''

Coming Home in the Dark ''Coming Home in the Dark'' is a 2021 New Zealand psychological thriller film based on a 1995 short-story of the same name by Owen Marshall. Directed by James Ashcroft and written by Eli Kent with James Ashcroft, the film stars Daniel Gillies ...

''. She wrote ''Te Whare Kapua: The Cloud House'' for Massive Theatre Company's thirtieth anniversary.

Personal life and education

McDowell affiliates to

Ngāti Hine Ngāti Hine is an Māori iwi (tribe) with a rohe (tribal area) in Northland, New Zealand. It is part of the wider Ngāpuhi iwi. Its rohe (tribal area) covers the areas of Waiomio, Kawakawa, Taumarere, Moerewa, Motatau, Waimahae, Pakara ...

and

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (also known as Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland regions of New Zealand centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2023 New Zealand census, the estimate ...

. She was educated at

Auckland Girls' Grammar School Auckland Girls' Grammar School (AGGS) is a New Zealand secondary school for girls located in Newton, New Zealand, Newton, Auckland. Established in 1878 as Auckland Girls' High School, it is one of the oldest secondary institutions in the countr ...

, and graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 2002 with a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting). Her brother, Tiopira, is also known as Māori bass producer Mokotron. She lives in Auckland with her two children.

Work

Theatre

McDowell's directorial debut was with Taki Rua Theatre, with a production of Briar Grace-Smith's '' Nga Pou Wahine'', which played in Auckland, Whangarei and Kaitaia in 2015. McDowell has a long association with

Massive Theatre Company Massive Theatre Company, also called Massive or Massive Company, is a professional theatre company in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand. Founded by Artistic Director Samantha Scott MNZM in 1990, the Maidment Youth Theatre at the University of A ...

in Auckland, describing it as "like a whanau". McDowell directed ''The Island'' for Massive, and toured it to the Exchange Festival in Scotland in 2016. Her play ''Te Whare Kapua: The Cloud House'' was written for Massive Theatre Company's 30th anniversary. It ran from 16 to 20 February 2021 at Mangere Arts Centre, directed by Sam Scott, as part of the Auckland Fringe Festival. McDowell co-wrote ''Cellfish'' with

Jason Te Kare Jason Te Kare is a New Zealand director, playwright and actor. Early life and education Te Kare graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 2001 with a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting). Work Te Kare played Ty in the prem ...

and Rob Mokaraka. ''Cellfish'', about a woman teaching Shakespeare in a men's correctional facility, opened the

Auckland Arts Festival Formerly known as Auckland Festival, Auckland Arts Festival or is an annual arts and cultural festival held in Auckland, New Zealand. The Festival features works from New Zealand, the Pacific, Asia and beyond, including world premieres of new wo ...

in 2017, and was nominated for a 2017 Adam New Zealand Play Award. McDowell also had a strong association with the Pop-Up Globe. She had performed there in 2016 in ''Romeo and Juliet'' while gathering material for ''Cellfish''. Then, despite having little directing experience, she was invited to direct ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'' in 2017. The Pasifika-infused production featured Semu Filipo and Jacque Drew as Benedick and Beatrice and was set on a banana plantation with Dogberry and Verges functioning as customs officers in charge of ensuring no illegal or dangerous produce entered the island. The production was revived for the final season of the Globe in 2019, with Renee Lyons and Rutene Spooner as Beatrice and Benedick. Theo David played Claudio in both productions. McDowell directed an all-woman production of ''Emilia'' by

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm Morgan Lloyd Malcolm is an Olivier-winning British playwright and screenwriter. Early life and education Morgan Lloyd Malcolm was born in Westminster, London, and grew up in London. She is the daughter of actor and West End producer Christoph ...

at the

in Auckland in March 2020. The play was the last before the Pop-Up Globe was dismantled, and one reviewer said "The heart-warming and skin-tingling karanga that brings the full company (14 actors and 2 musicians) to the stage attests to the playwright’s desire for each production to bring its own kaupapa to the staging and McDowell’s capacity to bring it home." The play would have toured but restrictions on gatherings over 100 people due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in New Zealand in March 2020 caused the cancellation of remaining performances. McDowell co-starred with Bree Peters in Sam Brooks' political thriller ''Burn Her'', which played to sold-out audiences at

Q Theatre The Q Theatre was a British theatre located near Kew Bridge in Brentford, west London, which operated between 1924 and 1958. It was built on the site of the former Kew Bridge Studios. The theatre, seating 490 in 25 rows with a central aisle, wa ...

in August 2018. In 2019, McDowell starred in Albert Belz's ''Astroman'', an

Auckland Theatre Company Auckland Theatre Company (ATC) is a professional theatre company in Auckland. It was founded in 1992 and since 2016 has been based in ASB Waterfront Theatre in the Wynyard Quarter in central Auckland. History Auckland Theatre Company (ATC) wa ...

and Te Rēhia Theatre Company production at Q Theatre, as part of the Auckland Arts Festival. In 2021 McDowell directed Alex Lodge's play ''Sing to Me'' for

Taki Rua Taki Rua is a theatre organisation based in Wellington, New Zealand that has produced many contemporary Māori people, Māori theatre productions. Taki Rua has been going since 1983 and has had several name changes over that time including The N ...

. ''Sing to Me'' opened at Te Whaea Theatre in Wellington in February, and toured Auckland, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Film and television

McDowell has had appearances in a number of TV series, including ''

'', '' Outrageous Fortune'', ''

'', anthology series ''Taonga'', and ''Interrogation''. She was nominated for an award for her role in ''Hope and Wire'' as a Christchurch woman refusing to stay in the city after the 2011 earthquake. McDowell played matriarch Renee O'Kane in

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 Niger, a commercial television channel in Niger * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Can ...

's family drama ''Head High,'' and was in two seasons of the Māori TV comedy ''Find Me a Māori Bride''. She directed a segment of the collaborative 2017 film '' Waru''. Film roles include a part as a sister in Toa Fraser's film '' No. 2'', and '' The Dark Horse'', and co-starring roles in 2010 mystery thriller '' This is Not My Life'' and 2015's ''The Great Maiden's Blush''. McDowell starred in the 2021 horror film ''

'', which premiered at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

, and '' Whina'' (2022), a biographical film where McDowell portrays a younger Dame

Whina Cooper Dame Whina Cooper (born Hōhepine Te Wake; 9 December 1895 – 26 March 1994) was a New Zealand ( Māori elder), who worked for many years for the rights of her people, and particularly to improve the lot of Māori women. She is remembered for ...

Awards and honours

At the 2015

Wellington Theatre Awards The Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai / Wellington Theatre Awards are the main theatre awards in New Zealand's capital city, Wellington established in 2015 after the previous awards sponsor ended their support. They are awarded annually. The previ ...

, McDowell won The George Webby Most Promising New Director award for her production of ''Nga Pou Wahine''. McDowell won the Best Actress Award at the

New Zealand Film Awards New Zealand film and television awards have gone by many different names and have been organised by different industry groups. As of 2017, New Zealand has relaunched a standalone New Zealand Television Awards after a five-year hiatus. The film awa ...

for her role in ''The Great Maiden's Blush''. McDowell received a New Zealand Television Award for Best Actress in 2020 for her role in ''Head'' ''High''.

References

External links

Interview with Miriama McDowell
about production of Emilia. In Māori and English with English subtitles.
Miriama McDowell
speaking about normalising children at work
Pantograph Punch piece
written my McDowell about her aspirations {{DEFAULTSORT:McDowell, Miriama New Zealand dramatists and playwrights New Zealand women dramatists and playwrights Ngāti Hine people Ngāpuhi people Toi Whakaari alumni New Zealand actors New Zealand theatre directors New Zealand women theatre directors New Zealand Māori actresses People educated at Auckland Girls' Grammar School Year of birth missing (living people) Living people