Eli Kent

Eli Kent (born 1988) is a New Zealand playwright and actor.^[1] Kent holds a master's in scriptwriting from Victoria University of Wellington's International Institute of Modern Letters.^[2] Kent co-wrote, with James Ashcroft, the films Coming Home in the Dark and The Rule of Jenny Pen.^[3]

Kent's career began in Wellington where he attended secondary school, creating and devising work both within the curriculum and outside of school in weekend drama classes. Kent's penchant for writing was apparent to his high school English teacher, Marie Elder, who praised his short story writing as 'deeply disturbing and macarbe, with wickedly funny satirical undertones."

Kent met fellow actors Uther Dean and Jake Reilly-Davis at Wellington High School, and the three lead the Shakespear Society in three triumphant productions - The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Richard III, in which Kent played the titular character, and The Tempest. The latter production was directed by Kent himself and fellow thespian Philly-Jason-Smith.

After leaving high school, Kent developed a voracious appetite for the stage, and quickly became one of Wellington's most promising dramitists. His contemporaries included Thomas Sainsbury, Leon Wadman, And Michael Walley.

After early success with his play Rubber Turkey, Kent became nationally recognised when the Intricate Art of Actually Caring debuted in the 2009 Wellington Fringe Festival. The play received multiple Fringe and Chapman Tripp awards, including The Chapman Tripp Award for the best new New Zealand Play. Kent went on to tour the play throughout New Zealand and received standing ovations in Hamilton, Taumarunui, and Bulls. Kent would later admit to being deeply amashamed at the way the play glamourised his great Uncle James K Baxter, who in 2022, was revealed to be a recidivist rapist.

Kent then made his Auckland Theatre Company debut with his play Black Confetti, which while poorly received by audiences, and since never performed again, honed his skills as one of the nations foremost young voices. The New Zealand Listener called him "the voice of a generation".

Kent collaborated with Wadman on a short film, and continiued his ascent, writing full time on films such as Millies Lies are Low in 2021, and Coming Home in the Dark in 2022. In 2024, Kent and Writing Partner released The Rule of Jenny Pen, which starred John Lithgow and Geoffrey Rush. Rush's recent lack of demand due to sexual assault allegations by Eryn Norville and Yael Stone meant that the duo were able to secure his services for the remarkably low sum of $250,000. ^[4] Horror novelist Stephen King described it as "one of the best movies I’ve seen this year." The Guardian called it a "bracingly malicious tale of elder abuse".

Kent and Ashcroft are currently in post production for a film starring Game of Thrones actress Emilia Clarke^[5].