Image Credit: Roxy Cinema. PopRox's first show. November 18th, 2021.

Te Auaha. 2022.

Palmerston North. 2025. Also Pictured: Ryan Knighton (our friend)

PopRox had its own big bang into the world of improvised theatre in the year of our lord, (Colin Mochrie) 2021. All of the original cast had a emerged from the company Playshop - which had disbanded a year earlier in 2020, leaving Austin Harrison, Pippa Drakeford, Nina Hogg, Jonny Paul and Dylan Hutton without a platform for their talent.   

That is until Dylan dragged this group together for an opportunity at a regular spot at Wellington's Roxy Cinema. The Roxy were activating their restaurant as a performance space with a series of different acts under the "Roxy Live" banner when PopRox pitched a cabaret-style comedy variety show. The first show was a sell-out success. Big things were coming. Sold out shows for years were on the horizon.
Fame.
Money. 
Disaster. 
PopRox performed one more show at the Roxy Cinema until Roxy Live was shelved indefinitely and, once again, PopRox had no home. 

Sprig and Fern. 2023.

They refused to stop there however, so the group moved forward, refining the show and experimenting with more formats. 

Since then, PopRox has regularly performed across Wellington in venues such as Te Auaha, Whiskey and Wood, Sprig and Fern and BATS Theatre - before making their debut at Wellington's professional Circa Theatre in 2024, where they played to sell-out audiences as the in-house company for two years. In 2024, PopRox also made their debut at The Hannah with their hit original show Ms. Christmas Bachelorette and it's sequel in 2025 Mr. Halloween Bachelor. PopRox has toured across Aotearoa performing shows in Ōtautahi (Christchurch), Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) and Te Papa-i-Oea (Palmerston North). In 2025, PopRox made its international debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, reuniting with original company members Jonny Paul and Pippa Drakeford. 

Fast forward to 2026, PopRox has become one of Pōneke's most prolific and successful theatre companies with regular seasons of new format shows, touring, an education department and corporate services. 

The company has now grown to eleven members and features some of the most experienced and talented performers in New Zealand including a Billy T Nominee, award winners and festival directors.   

BATS Theatre. 2026

The Hannah Playhouse. 2024

Circa Theatre. 2025.

The Players

Dylan
​Hutton

President/Co-Producer/Performer

Dylan is an established actor, improviser and theatre maker based in Pōneke. His credits are numerous having performed across the motu in Squash Co. shows such as Long Ride Home, Boys and Girls at the Silent School Disco and Owe. He has been an improvisor for 15 years with Off the Cuff in Nelson, and Playshop and PopRox in Pōneke.  In 2021, he assembled a team of absolute legends to become PopRox. Since then, he has served as the company's producer. He’s known for his clever character work, comedic instincts and sincerity in his performance.

Nina
Hogg

Marketing Coordinator/Performer 

Nina is a comedian and producer based in Pōneke. She has worked as a full-time producer and tour manager for the last five years and regularly tours PopRox and her own works around NZ, Australia and beyond. She won ‘Comic Originality’ at the 2025 NZ Comedy Guild Awards and ‘Best Show’ at the 2026 Welington Comedy Awards as a part of comedy duo Ginge & Minge.
​

Tara
McEntee

Co-Producer/Performer

Tara has been improvising for over 14 years across New Zealand. She has been a member of Improsaurus in Dunedin, the Court Jesters in Christchurch, and Playshop, PopRox and Soap Factory in Wellington. Tara has a passion for teaching narrative based improv with strong characters and bold storylines. She's been described as a "chaotic evil" improviser.

Austin
​Harrison

Education Coordinator/Performer

Austin is one of Aotearoa's most prolific improvisational performers, teachers and directors. His works include, Poprox, Magnus Steel, I’m Proud of You, The Improvisers and mmmpop Improv– which he founded in 2018. 
He's been a finalist for 15 NZ Fringe Awards and in 2022 won a "Heart of Gold" Wellington Theatre Award. Austin is the Artistic Director of The New Zealand Improv Festival and was awarded “Favourite Comedian” at Dunedin Fringe 2026. He believes in making work with the audience at its heart and the power of improv to bring communities together.

Millie
Osborne

Secretary/Performer​

Millie Osborne is Kilbirnie’s most enthusiastic and energetic improviser. Millie discovered her passion for improvisational theatre while at intermediate school in Ōtautahi. Since moving to the bright lights of Wellington in 2016, she’s been a founding member of mmmPop Improv, performed in Late Night Knife Fight and is a proud member of PopRox since 2023. She loves finding the fun and joy that improv provides!​

Mo
Munn 

Marketing Coordinator/Performer

(Ngāi Tahu, Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Hine) 
Mo (Mamaeroa) Munn is a multi-award-winning stand-up comedian, improviser and writer. A regular on the professional comedy circuit in Pōneke, Mo has taken shows to the NZ International Comedy Festival, Melbourne Comedy Festival, NZ Fringe Festival, NZ Improv Festival and Chicago iO Festival.  
Mo has been improvising for nine years, (training in Wellington, London and Chicago) and is the producer of the NZ Improv Festival.  She also performs in, produces and directs experimental and sketch comedy shows. Described by reviewers as “unashamedly autobiographical”, Mo loves an overshare and characters that are absurd, loud and chaotic. 

Lia 
​Kelly

Treasurer/Performer/Musician 

Lia Kelly is an established director, actor, improviser and musician based in Pōneke. Her directing debut, SUPER CLEAN, won her 'Most Promising Emerging Artist' at the 2017 NZ Fringe Awards. One Night Band, which she directed, won 'Most Original Production' at the Wellington Theatre Awards 2023. In 2025, she starred in The Night is Always Darkest which was nominated for ‘Most Innovative Work’ at the NZ Fringe Festival and she also toured the country with The Ballad of Briar Grant which she directed. She is a part of the musical comedy duo Bugs On A Wall, who won the ‘Momentous Music’ award at the 2026 NZ Fringe Festival for their show Bug Songs Not Love Songs.

Lesa 
MacLeod-Whiting

Performer

 Lesa is an award-winning comedian, writer, improviser from Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Starting stand-up in 2020, she quickly made her mark at the National Raw Comedy Quest Final. In 2023 she won Best Comedian at the Wellington Comedy Awards and has been nominated for numerous NZ Comedy Guild Awards. Formerly of Playshop, she is also co-founder of the improv company Tiny Dog.
Lesa debuted her solo stand-up show On-Brand at the 2023 NZ International Comedy Festival, earning a nomination for Best Newcomer. Her follow up solo show, Rebellina was nominated for a 2025 Billy T Award. She’s since gone on to win Best Female Comedian and Best MC at the 2025 NZ Comedy Guild Awards. In 2026 she had her television debut on 7 Days. 
Audiences love her absurd characters, political satire, and fast-paced audience interactions.


​

Jed 
​Davies

Performer

Jed's been improvising in Pōneke since 2012, with PlayShop, PopRox and more. He loves pushing stories in bold, twisted directions. Reviewers have described his work as: "a macabre 51st shade of grey that is well worth the detour" (Theatreview).

Isaac
​Thomas

Performer/Musician 

Isaac has been an improviser and improv musician for a decade in Pōneke and Whakatū/Nelson. He's played with Body in Space, Playshop, Poprox and been musical director for musical improv powerhouse The Pāua Ballads. He has worked with almost every major improv company around the city, accompanying them through improvised piano, guitar and vocals.

Campbell
​Wright

Performer/Technician

Campbell is a writer, director, tech, performer and improviser based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. He began learning improv over a decade ago in Ōtautahi, before moving up to Wellington in 2017. He was a founding member of the university improv group, Mmmpop Improv, and has been performing in the NZ Fringe and Late Night Knife Fight since arriving in Wellington. He loves creating strong improvised narratives and pushing performance to its breaking point. ​

PopRox 
Alumni

• Jonny Paul
• Pippa Drakeford

PopRox WAGS Hall of Fame

The company would like to acknowledge our wonderful partners who have provided support to the company for their assistance with productions and the well-being of our performers. 
Phoebe Caldeiro 
Quentin Potts 
Mikey Catterall 
​Meg Barker 
​Emily Ashill
​Lauren Fox