Zanetti Productions presents innovative and ground-breaking creativity, with a focus on supporting work that invigorates social change, celebrates otherness and sends audiences out into the world with a spark in their heart.


Led by Lydia Zanetti, Zanetti Productions has quickly established itself as one of the most recognised and respected producing houses in New Zealand.

In 2018/2019 Zanetti Productions is presenting a plethora of artists in both Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas including: Julia Croft & Nisha Madhan/Virginia Frankovich’s Power Ballad; Working On My Night Moves; If There's Not Dancing at the Revolution, I’m Not Coming, Medusa; Trick of the Light's The Road That Wasn't There; Eleanor Bishop's Jane Doe; Eleanor & Karin McCracken’s Yes Yes Yes; Julia, Eleanor & Karin’s Body Double; Anya Tate-Manning & Isobel MacKinnon's My Best Dead Friend; Stella Reid, Jane Yonge, Oliver Morse & Thomas Lambert's The Basement Tapes; Wilson Dixon; Johanna Cosgrove’s Aunty; as well as major cultural events such as Auckland Fringe. Tours include to Imaginate Children’s Theatre Festival, Battersea Arts Centre, Cultch (Vancouver), Blue Room (Perth), Esplanade (Singapore), Auckland Arts Festival and Summerhall.

In 2019 alone, Zanetti Productions had over 50 opening nights - that’s 208 showings - and over 53% of our showings were outside of Aotearoa. This highlights the effect Zanetti Productions has on the industry in NZ, and the outreach it is facilitating to the world. Director Lydia Zanetti has been to Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the last 6 years - including as a producer of 3 shows and associate producer on 3 more (2017), as producer of the sold out Fringe First winner The Basement Tapes (2018), and the producer of 3 shows and associate on 1 more in 2019 - where Working On My Night Moves winning a TOTAL Theatre Award (Physical & Visual Theatre).

Historically, Zanetti Productions has also worked with Michael Parmenter, Victor Rodger, Rose Matafeo, Binge Culture, James Nokise, Donna Brookbanks and the Auckland Theatre Awards.

Zanetti Productions is currently on ice!

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Lydia Zanetti // Photo: Andi Crown Photography

Lydia Zanetti // Photo: Andi Crown Photography

Lydia Zanetti
Director / Executive Producer of Zanetti Productions
Producer (all shows, sans Yes Yes Yes)

Lydia is an Auckland (Aotearoa New Zealand) based producer, publicist, choreographer, production manager and arts activist. She runs her own productions company Zanetti Productions and until recently was the director of Auckland Fringe festival (2015-2019).

In 2016, she has worked as a Producer at Auckland Live (programming into Aotea Square), Production Manager for the Undisciplining Dance Symposium, Venue Manager of the Festival Garden for the Auckland Arts Festival 2016, Producer for Show Pony’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme as well as producing three highly successful seasons - Rose Matafeo’s Finally Dead; KIKI feat. Victor Rodger’s PUZZY and Michael Parmenter’s Insolent River: a tango.

In 2015, she was honoured to be chosen as the Producer in Residence at the Basement Theatre and was awarded a place on the Momentum programme to Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Prior to that she has worked as a publicist for Elephant Publicity, Artistic Director of Short + Sweet Dance, as well as creating her own contemporary dance work. She is a graduate of UNITEC’s Contemporary Dance degree programme.



Previous Amazing Team Members:

Ruby Reihana-Wilson

Ruby Reihana-Wilson

Ruby Reihana-Wilson
Nga Puhi, Ngati Hine, Ngai Tu

Production Manager (all shows)

Ruby is a freelance film producer, production manager and lighting designer for theatre. Ruby graduated from Unitec School of Performing Arts in 2009 with a Diploma in Performance Technology, majoring in lighting design, and has since up-skilled into many other roles within the arts industry.  Her current focus is producing and production managing for both theatre and film - having spent the last two years producing full-time at film production company Monster Valley and other freelance film projects, she is excited to apply her new-found production skills to her one true love: theatre.

Having worked in multiple roles from performing to technical operation, management and now creative producing, Ruby has an in-depth knowledge of how best to plan out, work, support and enjoy a successful creative process.

Recent production credits include Medusa and Working On My Night Moves by Julia Croft, Meg Rollandi and Nisha Madhan, My Best Dead Friend by Anya Tate-Manning & Isobel MacKinnon, Yes Yes Yes by Eleanor Bishop & Karin McCracken and touring technical management of Meremere by Movement of the Human. Ruby currently works part time as a production manager at theatre company Zanetti Productions, and is producing a TVNZ-funded web series Life Is Easy by Cole Jenkins & Chye-Ling Huang.


Lydia Zanetti & Helen Sheehan // Photo: Andi Crown Photography

Lydia Zanetti & Helen Sheehan // Photo: Andi Crown Photography

Helen Sheehan
Producer (Yes Yes Yes)


Helen joined Zanetti Productions at the beginning of 2017 as a producer, providing support to the full programme of works produced by Zanetti Productions, as well as working on projects including Auckland Fringe and national and international touring.

Prior to joining Zanetti Productions, Helen worked for four years with Silo Theatre, one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary theatre companies, starting as the Ticketing and Programme Coordinator, and working her way up to the role of producer within the company. Helen's background in performing arts includes completing a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies, as well as working in arts education roles at the Auckland Arts Festival and TAPAC.

Helen is working solely as the producer of Yes Yes Yes in a part time capacity.