Palmerston North playwright Jackie Davis to bring A Time Like This to the Globe Theatre

Palmerston North playwright Jackie Davis is seeking seven actors for her war drama. Photo / Judith Lacy

Palmerston North playwright Jackie Davis is on the hunt for seven actors to bring her story of World War I veteran Douglas to life.

A Time Like This premiered in Gisborne in 2017 and then ran at Bats Theatre in Wellington in 2018. Davis directed the drama both times.

She has been involved in theatre for decades, firstly with Gisborne’s Unity Theatre and then while living in Wellington, moving from acting to writing and directing.

The registered nurse moved to Palmerston North in 2020 and joined Manawatū Theatre Society. A Time Like This will be her directorial debut for the society.

She says it is going through a resurgence, putting on three shows a year and building audience, cast and crew.

A Time Like This is set in 1984. Douglas, 88, returns from an Anzac Day parade and starts to reminisce about the Great War during which he was a war artist. He is haunted by memories of the shocking events he witnessed.

The first play Davis wrote was for Unity Theatre’s season of one-act plays. She loved the process so much and seeing what was in her head come to life she thought she would try to do a full-length play.

Davis has always loved writing and when she was at school wanted to be a journalist. Then she realised it wasn’t the career for her because you can’t make things up.

On February 17, as part of the NZ Fringe Festival in Wellington, Davis’ play All the Things I Have will have a rehearsed reading. It is about a hoarder who has to come to terms with her secrets.

Davis has had two novels published by Penguin - Breathe and Swim. Both are out of print but available at Palmerston North City Library. She has also had short stories and poems published.

Davis has a Master of Arts in creative writing from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington, studying under Bill Manhire.

The characters in A Time Like This are:

• Old Douglas
• Young Douglas, 22, sensitive and quietly spoken
• Harriet, early 20s, Douglas’ wife
• Katherine, 20s, Harriet’s sister
• George, 20s-30s, Katherine’s husband
• Boy/Hubert Faulkner - two minor parts
• Doctor/Mr Gordon - two minor parts.

Auditions for A Time Like This will be held on Sunday, 2pm at the Globe Theatre. Rehearsals will begin in January with the performance dates April 18 to 27.

If you would like to audition but cannot make Sunday, email Davis at nzjackied@gmail.com.

Next year will be the 110th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I.