No worries . . . a winning 10-minute play is written

I, PAPATUANUKU: Michelle Hall plays Earth mother Papatuanuku as a futuristic green robot in an Aaron Compton-scripted work for the 48-hour playwriting festival. Based around the 1080 protests, the play explored the question, Are the baddies the Government or the protestors? says Mrs Hall. “Some of the rhetoric is absurd and as public we get caught up in this.” The work drew on a theatrical form called Theatre of the Absurd, a form of performance sparked by existentialist philosopher Albert Camus’s observation that the human situation is absurd, devoid of purpose. Picture supplied

“Gods and Goddesses of Gisborne” was the theme of the inaugural 48-Hour Play Festival that culminated in performances of plays produced by 20 local playwrights, directors and actors.

The brainchild of Evolution Theatre Company managing artistic director Dinna Myers, the festival format was similar to that of the 48-hour film festival.

Each of the four teams was given a theme, a specific prop and a line of dialogue, and instructions to write and produce a 10-minute play in just 48 hours. Performances were held at the War Memorial Theatre.

The required line of text was “No worries, she’ll be right” and every play featured a Maori god or goddess. The plays were performed on Sunday night at the War Memorial Theatre and the audience voted for their favourite production.

A play about Tangaroa, god of the sea, penned, produced and performed by Susan Partington, James Packman, Suzan Anderson, Ayden Malone and Simon Marino won the top prize.

Rising star Will Toon won the award for standout performance by an actor, playwright Dorothy Fletcher won the prize for best use of the required line of text in her play, while director Kaz Denby won the award for best use of the required prop.

Evolution Theatre Company will next stage Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning drama, Our Town, October 12-27. For more information visit www.evolutiontheatre.org.nz