KEY POINTS:
There's nothing like an energetic youth show to make you feel decrepit. Joyful, naive and full of hope for the future, the 11 young women in The Girls Show would win over even the most hardened cynic with their lust for life.
It's apt that the show is
on at the same time as the 40th International Film Festival, when Aucklanders are open to storytelling in all its guises.
Played on a bare white stage, this Massive Theatre production is a collaboration of youthful emerging artists and established theatre practitioners. Devised by the company and directed by Sam Scott and Carla Martell the show explains what it means to be a girl in Auckland today.
The directors say the show is not a play but a series of paintings that speak of and from the young women. Sorry ladies, but I think you're a century behind in terms of your metaphor - the show is more like a random selection of music videos combined with a coming-of-age movie.
Based on the girls' diaries, the show combines waiata, pop songs, dance numbers and story-telling delivered direct to the audience to give an interesting insight into the hopes and desires of the 17 to 21-year-old set. While it's not a traditionally linear play, the loose structure sees the girls relive their childhood years, talk about their lives now and then finish with their hopes for future happiness.
It's big on fun and is empowering in the best sense of the word. Often shows about teenage girls focus on negative issues such as eating disorders, unwanted pregnancies, the rise of slut culture and sexual abuse.
This show shies away from all that and instead lets the girls celebrate the best bits of their lives.
But there are some serious moments, which are also the most emotionally affecting. In one highlight, two very different stories were beautifully told by four members of the cast. In the first Vietnamese New Zealander Tuyet Nguyen shared her family's journey from refugee boatpeople in Hong Kong to new Kiwis in Auckland. This was nicely contrasted with Genevieve Thompson-Ford's memories of her Nan's battle with dementia and ultimate decline surrounded by four generations of Pakeha women.
Tracey Collins' colourful street clothes fit with music-video sensibility, and lighting designer Jeremy Fern paints the stage in bold colours of red and orange with cross-hatched texture. While mostly on mood, at times it didn't seem to match the high energy of the performances; the Gold Finger song and dance number called out for more spy/action flourishes.
It's hard to believe that this is the first time many of the girls have appeared on stage as they all give confident and charismatic performances. It seems a shame to mention just two of the cast by name so to the rest - Geneva Alexander-Marsters, Olive Asi, Loretta Aukuso, Lisa Marie Daynes, Leigh Fitzjames, Shannon Makasale, Joyce Samelu, Sammy-Rose Scapens and Nicole Thomson - congratulations and thanks for sharing your stories.
What: The Girls Show
Where: The Concert Chamber, Auckland Town Hall
When: Until July 26