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Behind The Scenes

CORE CAST

Robbo | Pax Baldwin

Pax is sixteen years old and comes from Shawbirch, near Telford. He trained full time at the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London, and has worked extensively in Television, Radio and Musical Theatre. His West End roles include ‘Poor Baby‘ in ‘Whistle Down the Wind‘ at the Aldwych Theatre, ‘Louis‘ in ‘The King and I‘ and ‘Jeremy‘ in ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang‘, both at the London Palladium, whilst he also performed in ‘The Likes of Us‘ at Andrew Lloyd-Webber‘s Sydmonton Festival.

Megan | Holly Bodimeade

13 year old Holly has been interested in performing from a very early age, taking her first drama and music classes at four years old.

After performing locally in theatre and short films, and being a regular winner at the Mid-Somerset Speech and Drama Festival, she won the lead role in a BBC Radio 4 afternoon play 'Sand' about the Suez Canal crisis.

Her first TV break came last year when she was cast in the CBBC drama ‘Summerhill‘, playing 11 year old Maddy, who is sent to the famously radical school after collapsing from exam stress and undergoes a personal transformation against the backdrop of the school's battle with Ofsted.

When not busy acting, she enjoys Hip-Hop dancing, plays the electric guitar, loves shopping and spending time with her friends.

Tai | Halaifonua Finau 

Nua originally comes from the world of dance. Having travelled around the world performing with his cultural dance group. He’s also a fantastic hip-hop dancer and can be seen to rustle up some surprising and sometimes hilarious dance moves through out Paradise Cafe.

Nua’s first TV role came in 2005 with a lead role as Alupepe in the New Zealand satirical series “Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby” about an unrepentant politically incorrect, extraordinarily eccentric secondary school teacher.

Followed by a lead in the popular New Zealand teen drama “Karaoke High” about a performing arts academy following the trials and tribulations of several students whose dreams are on the line and the teachers who hold those dreams in their hands.


Now life is imitating art and Nua is currently combining his acting career with studying Applied Arts at Whitireia Polytechnic in New Zealand.

Abi | Lara Custance 

Fifteen year old Lara’s acting career took off with a core cast role in the TV drama series “The New Tomorrow” where the kids of the world have been left to take care of themselves after a deadly virus has killed all the adults.

Lara has continued to act in TV dramas as well as New Zealand TV commercials, School Theatre and Short Films.

As well as her acting Lara is involved in dancing and singing, taking part in a number of dance and musical theatre productions.

Like many Kiwis’ Lara’s also loves the outdoors and is learning to surf and is a keen dragon boater.

Chloe | Amelia Reynolds 

Amelia's first serious role was at the age of ten, playing Tally in series three of 'The Tribe', set in a hypothetical near-future in which all adults have been wiped out by a deadly virus, leaving the children of the world to fend for themselves.

Early in 2008 Amelia performed in the Australian Disney channel show 'As The Bell Rings'. Currently she is starting a degree in Political Science and History at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. 'Paradise Cafe' is her first major television role.

Peter | John Wraight

Jon first appeared in the late 80s as Smudge in the Gibson Group cop show “Shark In The Park” which also filmed out in Avalon studios, it was a lovely sense of de ja vous shooting part of Paradise Cafe out there as well.

As for filming in the South Pacific, John has relished his second foray into the tropics to shoot Paradise Cafe in lovely Rarotonga, recalling fond memories of filming “Return to Treasure Island” on a boat in Fiji.

John has also done a lot of the hard slog treading the boards of almost every theatre in NZ, favourite shows include tours of “Bouncers” and “Blood Brothers”. He’s been on the big screen in “Chunuk Bair” and “King Kong”. He has just finished shooting an episode of “Legend Of The Seeker” for Disney – ABC playing the role of Sean.

When he’s not too busy acting you may find him catching a wave on the Kapiti coast or playing ukulele, performing with his band  “The Fat Teddies”.

Victoria | Miranda Harcourt

Miranda became a New Zealand house hold name when she played flame haired rich girl Gemma Stace in the 1980s soap “Gloss”.

Itchy feet took her to London where she studied drama therapy and fell in love with teaching, helping run whorkshops for the disabled and deaf communities. Miranda performed for some of the country’s toughest prisons, such as the Wormwood scrubs maximum security prison and Brixtons psychiatric ward. The experience was formative and on returning home she took the solo show “Verbatim” to prisons in New Zealand and then festivals in the UK, the US, Australia adn Hong Kong.

Miranda has acted in numerous film and Television projects including “Shortland Street”, The Strip”, “Fracture” and the award winning film “For Good” directed by her husband Stuart McKenzie.

Miranda has also held the position of Head of Acting at Toi Whakaari, the New Zealand Drama School.

Despite her hectic Schedule, including being the mum of three young children, she manages to fit directing, acting, coaching and public speaking into her life, and has co-produced two films including the award winning “For Good”.

When not working or taking care of her family Miranda likes to fit in the odd spot of op-shopping, get along to the watch local theatre productions, practice yoga and hang out with friends and family. 

MORE CAST BIOS COMING SOON!

Ragnar Ironsides (Mick Rose)
Cora (Mabelle Dennison)