Peta Rutter

The work of Peta Gurney Elizabeth Rutter encompassed drama, comedy and dance. In the early 1980s, she was half of comedy duo Slick Stage. In the 1990s, she joined the ensembles on sketch show Away Laughing and dysfunctional family tale Home Movie, and played heroine in Power Rangers: Mystic Force. In movie romance This is Not a Love Story she was a successful artist at a crossroads. Her stage work included Jacob Rajan's The Dentist Chair, dance pieces by Douglas Wright and Shona McCullagh, and co-creating award-winning play Head (2007). Peta Rutter died on 20 July 2010, shortly after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. 

With her sparkling, dancing eyes and beautiful, vibrant soul, she brought a unique blend of cool intelligence and anarchic elegance to Auckland theatre. In this age of beige, Peta was a fountain of originality. Actor/director Simon Prast