Alison's full house 'I DON'T WANT MY KIDS TO LEAVE!

The idea of an empty nest is enough to make the beloved actor cause a scene

- Rebekah Hebenton

Shortland Street legend Alison Quigan has dedicated her career to creating stories that portray the real lives of Kiwis on stage. Her latest directorial project – Sir Roger Hall's End of Summer Time – proves that even the simple tale of a Taranaki farmer feeling like a fish out of water in Auckland can resonate with anyone.

Alison says the moment she read the play, she was transported back to when she landed the role of receptionist Yvonne Jeffries. While it was an opportunity she couldn't turn down, it also meant leaving behind her life in Palmerston North and the theatre community that had helped raise her kids, for the hustle and bustle of Auckland. “Everyone I worked with said I was going to hate it,” recalls the 72-year-old. “I got here and by the end of our first weekend, I loved it. My son really didn’t want to come, but once we started exploring the beaches, mountains and the markets, he loved it too.”

Though she said farewell to Ferndale some years ago, she couldn’t bring herself to leave Auckland and still shares her Sandringham home with her kids.