There is an eerie, dream-like quality to ATC's finely crafted revival of When Sun & Moon Collide that situates the play within a tradition that might be called Kiwi Gothic.
As with the novels of Ronald Hugh Morrieson, the drama opens a window on the seedy underbelly of our rural heartland and exposes sinister forces festering beneath the tranquil surface of small town New Zealand.
The distinctive lyricism of playwright Briar Grace-Smith is brilliantly displayed in a tale that unfolds like a hallucination with a strange mix of richly poetic imagery, wicked humour and explosive violence.
The psychological drama is neatly contained by Daniel Williams' set, which lovingly recreates the intimate space of an old-fashioned tearoom that is hemmed in by a boldly abstract representation of Horowhenua's rippling earth.
Director Rawiri Paratene's finely choreographed staging is precisely synchronised with Thomas Press' cinematic sound design and Jennifer Lal's atmospheric lighting.
