Nancy Brunning

Nancy Brunning (1971–2019), known to her friends as Nan, was one of Aotearoa’s most influential actors, directors, and writers, celebrated for her mana and tireless advocacy for Māori voices in theatre and film.

A graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School’s class of 1991, Brunning became known early for her magnetic performances on stage and screen, notably in What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, for which she won Best Supporting Actress at the 1999 NZ Film and TV Awards. But it was in the theatre that she built her creative home, shaping a legacy that left a deep impression on fellow theatremakers and Māori storytellers.

Brunning’s connection to The Hannah Playhouse and Downstage Theatre was dotted across much of her career, performing in works like the premiere production of Waiora (1997) by Hone Kouka, The Vagina Monologues (2002) directed by Jude Gibson, and Richard III (2002) directed by Murray Lynch. She performed in and directed numerous productions that challenged and expanded theatre’s scope, bringing te ao Māori narratives into the mainstream of Wellington theatre. She also worked as a cultural advisor and script consultant as a fluent speaker of te reo Māori.

In later years, Brunning became a powerful voice for Māori self-determination in the arts. In November 2019 she posthumously won the prestigious Bruce Mason Playwriting Award, which was awarded just a day after her death on stage at The Hannah.