Jules Hamilton as Lindy, with Peter Cottrell, Danny Priestly and Julie Hales.
Jules Hamilton as Lindy, with Peter Cottrell, Danny Priestly and Julie Hales.
It feels a little bit like "coming home" for Lisa-Jane Easter (nee Hay) who is back in the director's chair for Waipukurau Little Theatre's offering — Letters to Lindy (April 8-17).
Lisa-Jane last directed John Foster in Tom Scott's New Zealand drama The Daylight Atheist in 2009 at Waipukurau LittleTheatre, and before that Hone Kouka's Waiora in 2006, so after a 12-year hiatus, she is back to direct the April season of Letters to Lindy by Alana Valentine.
At Waipukurau Little Theatre, Lisa-Jane has memories of robust conversations with theatre greats Roger Bronte and Terry Coyle over the years.
"We used to sit for hours discussing what was being written in New Zealand and why producing New Zealand work was so important to regional theatre." Now, these conversations are still being had, and the importance of supporting Australasian work is "more important than ever" as many of our playwrights struggle.
Letters to Lindy although not a New Zealand written work, has a Kiwi connection to Lindy who is, in fact, from Whakatāne. This year is the 41st anniversary of the death of Azaria Chamberlain — and although, the passing of time has lessened its horrific nature, the themes the Chamberlain story had then, these are still pertinent today as we find ourselves again in times of media sensationalism and legal system shortcomings.
As the play is predominantly a verbatim peice, the cast of four (Jules Hamilton as Lindy, Peter Cottrell, Danny Priestly and Julie Hales) have been working hard to honour this work — which will be a New Zealand premiere.
