THE CAST: Unfit, TV-watching and gambling PE teacher Trevor Shaskey’s character Laurie Connor (left) withers under a tirade by Hautapu High School principal Viv Cleaver during rehearsals for Unity Theatre’s production of Kings of the Gym. Meanwhile, PE teacher Pat Kennedy, played by Simon Marino, busies himself with his script. Picture supplied
As soon as Kings of the Gym director James Packman saw Kate Adams he knew he had found the ideal person to play star netball player Annie Tupua in the Kiwi comedy.
Annie is Maori, a student teacher in the PE department and a very fit, born-again christian. Until someone
suggested Adams, Annie Tupua was the only character Packman had not been able to cast.
“We were in Unity Theatre when we called her. She said she was just across the road at the BP service station and came across to say hello. As soon as she walked into the theatre I thought she was made for the part.”
By the end of auditions for the Unity Theatre production of Kiwi playwright Dave Armstrong’s comedy, Packman was rapt to have cast not only Adams, but Gina Ferkins as Hautapu High School’s politically correct principal Viv Cleaver. Viv is set on transforming the low-decile school but the thorn in her side is the PE department. The department is run by gone-to-seed PE teacher Laurie Connor, a TV-watching and gambling (during school hours) character played by Trevor Shaskey.
Simon Marino, an enthusiastic performer Packman found at a theatresports quiz night, is cast as good-natured, reasonably fit, but unambitious PE teacher Pat Kennedy.
