Retire Like a King: Behind the scenes with Summerset stars

“It was an outstanding experience” said Ellerslie resident, Jan Hart

Eight residents from Summerset at Heritage Park are featured in the Retire Like a King ad with NZ celebrity, Suzanne Paul. A delightfully light-hearted production highlighting ways that you too can Live Like a King in the lead up to the Coronation of His Majesty The King.

Dressed to the nines early on a Tuesday morning, an uber van whisked the residents to the filming studio, where after a wee delay and meeting a few NZ celebs, the shoot got underway.

“The brief was to dress for the opera with some Summerset colours,” said Clare. Living in a close-knit community saw our stars sharing jewellery and clothing items so everyone could meet the brief.

Being on a film set was a new experience for most, they estimated that there would have been around thirty people behind the scenes, with filming, sound, lighting, and a dog handler for the Corgi (a recognisable nod to the Queen), who promptly became a highlight of the shoot.

“The filming experience was quick. The lighting was only on the talent, so we had to be careful where we walked as it was dark. But once we were in position, it went really well and was done in about five takes” said Phil Bradley, accompanied by his wife Lynne, “It was fun and we didn’t have a script to worry about, just ‘Cheers!’” said Lynne.

Jan also enjoyed seeing behind the scenes, “being in a live TV studio setting was a real experience. It was fascinating how they went about getting us all into position and following the prompt in unison.”

As the Coronation starts at 10pm in New Zealand, our Summerset stars will be watching from the comfort of their own homes. However, not wanting to miss the opportunity to celebrate the milestone, the Ellerslie residents committee have planned a Coronation themed happy hour for the village, including a best dressed competition, raffles, and fabulous prizes.

We wrapped up our chat with a sneak preview of the ad which elicited great laughter and excitement. When asked if they would consider being part of future Summerset campaigns, Lynne enthusiastically answered for the group “We would do it again, we are game for anything.”

View the ad for yourself here:

You can watch the Ceremony of The Coronation of Their Majesties, TVNZ 1, 7pm / Three, 7pm / UKTV, 6.30pm. The royal procession will depart between 9:30pm and 10:00pm from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for the Coronation. The ceremony itself will begin at 10:00pm and is expected to last around three hours.