Colin McColl, of Auckland
Colin McColl received the Insignia of an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the theatre, film and television. Mr McColl has been involved with theatre, as an actor, director and producer for more than 30 years. He was an Associate Director, Artistic Director, and Director of Downstage Theatre for many years, served as Director of the Wellington Performing Arts Centre, and co-founded Taki Rua Theatre in 1983. He is the Artistic Director of the Auckland Theatre Company, where he has been responsible for many productions, and has worked with a wide range of New Zealand writers on new productions. He has directed for the Dutch National Theatre, the Norwegian National Theatre, the Scottish Opera, the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts and a number of Australian theatre companies. He was the first New Zealand director to be invited to direct at the Edinburgh Festival. Mr McColl has directed a number of productions for the National Business Review New Zealand Opera, and has been involved in both television and film.