Presenters for ‘Playschool’ enthuse over roles

Press, 23 February 1987, Page 19

Presenters for ‘Playschool’ enthuse over roles

Acting has always interested Kristen Gillespie, just like the rest of her family. The parents are involved in ■ amateur dramatics, and their two male offspring are also interested in theatre, one son having spent time with the Court Theatre, Christchurch, before taking up university studies.

But with her “Playschool” debut this week and one TV credit already behind her, Kristen Gillespie, Christchurch-born-and-bred, has moved into a different league. “I always wanted to do acting. I was in lots of schdol plays and at varsity I took part in children’s street theatre over two summers. And after I completed my B.A. in French I tried out for drama school,” she says. However, she missed out on a place and decided instead to go overseas ... “mainly England, the Middle East and Turkey” ... for a spell. “I did any kind of job I could get. I was a nanny for a while in England and worked in pubs. I guess I did the normal things New Zealanders do overseas,” she says. Gillespie had just returned from her trip “and was not sure what to do” when she was offered a part in “Tales Of The Mist.” This TVNZ children’s drama series screened in June last year.

She enjoyed her first television work and when “Playschool” auditions were called late last year put herself forward. “I like the variety in ‘Playschool’ and the way it relates to kids," she says. She is not sure what she will do after her term

with “Playschool” finishes. “I would like to do more television work. I’ll just wait and see what happens.”

A former breakfast announcer, Mike Rehu, aged 23, certainly does not regard his new “Playschool” presenting job as a “cushy” number.

“The hard work and concentration required in making 24 minutes of ‘Playschool’ „ — even though it’s scripted — is the equivalent of a week’s worth of breakfast announcing,” he says. Rehu came to the popular pre-school show straight from a job as breakfast announcer for an Invercargill radio station.

“With television because it’s new to me and because all actions are visible and audible — it involves all the senses — it’s really challenging. And, then again, radio is not as personality-orien-tated as it used to be and an announcer only really comes on air about every 10 minutes for around 10 seconds,” he says. Rehu went straight from school into a cadet-

ship with Radio New Zealand. “It covered everything from accounts to onair stuff,” he says. He later transferred from Invercargill to Christchurch. He then went to Timaru as an announcer.

Stints followed with private radio in Christchurch and Invercargill. He came back to Christchurch from his breakfast job in the deep south when he . applied for “Playschool.” A “Playschool” devotee until the age of 20, Rehu decided to try out as a presenter because, it was a “different type of job, something different to do.” ’

He has always fancied himself as a ’bit of a singer and loves children. However, Mike has already had some feeback — his mates have given him a bit of ribbing over his new occupation. “But then people are inclined to give anyone a hard time if they’re doing something different,” he says.

“Playschool” screens Monday to Friday at 2.30 p.m. on Two.