FRANK. The Musical

A Bold New Musical Inspired by True Events

What do we fight for? at what cost? Set against the backdrop of WWI, FRANK. The Musical tells the powerful story of Karl Frank, the son of a German immigrant who chose to fight for Aotearoa, New Zealand in a time of deep national and personal conflict.

Rose Ellis alongside her love Karl, witness a generation torn apart by war and bound by love, duty, and hope. Travel from the shores of Te Whanganui-a-Tara to the brutal trenches of the Western Front in this gripping original production.

Featuring a cast of 8 actors and a live 5-piece band, FRANK. The Musical combines the intimacy of chamber theatre with the emotional scale of musical storytelling. With a sweeping original score blending early 20th-century sounds and modern folk influences, this is a story of resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring power of connection.

This boosted campaign allows us to support and fairly compensate the many people it takes to bring a new piece of original theatre to life. It also gives you the opportunity to contribute to a powerful and deeply human work.  A musical that shines light on, amplifies unheard voices, and blends heartfelt storytelling with a compelling, contemporary score.

FRANK. The Musical is on at the Gryphon Theatre from the 27th - 28th February and 1st March as part of the 2026 Wellington Fringe Festival 

Ticket link: Fringe Festival

Creative Team & Cast

At the heart of FRANK. The Musical is a dedicated group of artists whose collective passion, craft, and generosity have shaped this story from a personal discovery into a powerful new work of New Zealand theatre. Each member of our team brings their skill, heart, and lived experience to a project grounded in identity, memory, and the human cost of war.

Greta Casey‑Solly — Writer & Co‑Director

Greta is the creative driving force behind FRANK., shaping the narrative from its earliest conception. As both Writer and Co‑Director, she brings vision, depth, and emotional clarity to the work, grounding the story in authenticity and ensuring its themes resonate with modern audiences.

Georgie Sivier — Co‑Director

Working alongside Greta, Georgie supports the directorial helm with collaborative energy and a strong eye for performance detail. Together, they craft a rehearsal room that is thoughtful, rigorous, and deeply respectful of the story’s origins.

Musical Director — Hayden Taylor
Production Manager & Stage Manager — Ash Sederel
Lighting Designer & Operator — Luci McDougall
Publicty Manager — Rachel Te Tau
 

Cast

Our performers are the heartbeat of FRANK. The Musical. They embody the characters with softness, strength, vulnerability, and truth — giving voice to those whose stories have too often been forgotten.

Nellie Evison — Rose Ellis

James Foster — Karl Frank

Frankie Leota - Elizabeth Patterson

Robert Arnold - Charlie Frank

Tiahli Martyn - Emily Bennett

Monet FaiFai-Collins - Michael Scott 

Isabella Casey-Solly — Catherine Frank

Henry Ashby - John McCurdy
 

Each cast member brings depth, nuance, and commitment to the world of FRANK., honouring the real lives that inspired this work and carrying their stories into the present with care.

Fringe shows might appear lightweight and nimble, but behind the scenes they are surprisingly costly to create. Every contribution to our Boosted campaign helps cover the essential expenses that make FRANK. The Musical possible, including but not limited to:

• Rehearsal venue fees
• Theatre hire
• Additional lighting and sound equipment
• Set design and production, props and costume pieces

Your support doesn’t just fund materials; it directly supports people. Boosted funding helps ensure our incredible cast and creative team are compensated fairly for the time, dedication, and heart they pour into this new work. The more we raise, the more we can return to the performers and artists who bring this story to life.

By contributing, you're helping us honour a forgotten piece of Aotearoa’s history, amplify unheard voices, and bring an original New Zealand musical to the Fringe stage. Thank you for being part of this journey.

FRANK. The Musical began as a Master’s degree project, sparked by the discovery of a long‑buried family story. This deeply personal revelation became the foundation for a wider exploration of identity, legacy, and resilience, brought to life through the medium of musical theatre.

From this origin, the driving force behind FRANK. evolved into a desire to reclaim and rehumanise a nearly forgotten piece of New Zealand history — the story of Karl Frank, the son of a German immigrant who fought for a country that questioned his loyalty.

At its heart, the work examines belonging, identity, and the emotional cost of war — not only for those on the front lines, but also for the families and communities left behind. It seeks to illuminate the intimate, often unspoken experiences of ordinary people caught in the machinery of global conflict, asking: What does it mean to be a New Zealander in times of division, fear, and loss?

Inspired by true events, FRANK. honours the personal within the political. Through music and storytelling, it gives voice to those silenced by time, shame, and trauma. The result is both a remembrance and a reckoning — a way to look back with honesty so we can better understand how to move forward.

The creative development of FRANK. The Musical has been both structured and collaborative, blending devised theatre techniques with formal script and score development. Improvisation sessions, writing workshops, and composition work have shaped the narrative and musical elements in tandem, ensuring the final piece is cohesive, layered, and emotionally resonant.

We are seeking to premiere FRANK. at the Wellington Fringe Festival in a concert-style format that will showcase its music, storytelling, and emotional arc. The Fringe is a vital development platform — a chance to refine the work, share it for the first time with a live audience, and understand the appetite for a full-scale production.

Your support will directly help us:

• bring an original Aotearoa work to its first-ever audience,
• elevate new voices in New Zealand theatre,
• develop a musical grounded in our own history,
• and ensure this story is preserved and shared, not lost.

Backing FRANK. means championing the stories that shape our cultural identity; not the grand narratives written in textbooks, but the intimate, often overlooked experiences of the people who lived them.