Ellie Smith (MNZM) – Actress, Singer, Writer, Gem

In this pod, Ellie Smith shares what she’s been up to since leaving New Zealand in 2009. From her time in Madrid trying to teach curmudgeonly Spanish bankers how to speak English, the personal impact of travelling to Kenya, the sometimes heart-breaking sometimes hilarious connections made performing in UK care homes pre-Covid, and on becoming a grandmother. We also talk about Ellie’s return onto the NZ stage for the first time in 17 years to perform her London sell-out solo show, Life on a Loop.

Ellie has worked as an actor, singer, director, and drama teacher in professional theatre in Britain and New Zealand for more than 30 years, taking lead roles in the original London productions of The Rocky Horror Show & Chicago, starring in Shirley Valentine, Mortimer’s Patch, Worzel Gummidge, and Piaf, among others.

She is a Kiwi gem and I’m deeply appreciative that Ellie agreed to join me on this inaugural and therefore slightly nerve-wracking episode of Kiwi Flees.

Life on a Loop is on at the Q Theatre, Auckland, 11-16 November 2025. www.qtheatre.co.nz for tickets.

Thank you so much for listening.

My huge thanks to the Kiwi Flees for candid conversations, and to my sound-meister Robbie at Matrix Digital (Wgtn) for his commitment to the craft and making himself available at the weirdest of hours to record these conversations from abroad.

If you’re a Kiwi Flee or know someone who should be, please get in touch at: kiwiflees@onlyfromnz.co.nz

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