Andrew Lees

Technical Director

Andrew (Drew) Lees has been in the ‘behind-the-scenes’ business for his entire career. After graduating from Sydney’s St. George Technical College with a Fine Arts degree, Drew came to New Zealand on holiday and never left. He found work at the Opera House in Wellington and has been a stalwart of the New Zealand theatre scene ever since.

Drew began his career as a stage mechanist which saw him organising special effects, dealing with sets and scenery for shows, rigging and flying for numerous shows including operas, musicals and concerts. He has been a part of the Royal New Zealand Ballet for more than 20 years, and his expertise in all areas of production and technical theatre have seen him involved in stage management, touring logistics in New Zealand and overseas, production design and construction, stage engineering, prop making and lighting design.

Drew heads up New Zealand’s only full-time production department and is frequently called on for advice from other members of our industry in Aotearoa and overseas.