The Packer at Herald Theatre

By MELANYA BURROWS


Three women, four men, one transsexual, three Palagi, two Niueans and a Sri Lankan: it makes a diverse cast for any play. Asking one actor to play the lot is a tall order.

Jay Bunyan is faced with the challenge in the solo play The Packer, which comes to his home city after a successful season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Bunyan is pleased to be back in Auckland to perform the hour-long play in the city where it is set. Melbourne has been home to the young actor, who has just finished a two-year stint as a core cast member on the long-running Aussie soap Neighbours.

The 23-year-old was voted the most popular male talent at Australia's 2003 Logie Awards, nominated best new male talent the year before, and is a favourite hunk in Australia's Cleo magazine.

For Bunyan, The Packer is a chance to show audiences he is more than just a pretty face. "About a year into Neighbours, I realised I was going to have this identity for a while unless I got rid of it somehow," he says in a mid-Tasman accent.

"In Edinburgh, we initially got 14- to 16-year-old girls, elderly daytime soap watchers and uni students coming along. When you have been on something like Neighbours people don't think you are versatile.

"A lot of them seemed to anticipate something bright and bubbly like panto, which is what they expect from Australasian actors in Britain. Instead, they got a gritty slice of urban West Auckland culture - and the realisation that I'm not some soap character but a guy from New Zealand who can act."

Word of Bunyan's performance spread, helped by a glowing first press review, and the final 10 days of the three-week Edinburgh run sold out.

The play's gritty, urban feel comes courtesy of playwright and director Dianna Fuemana, who has been described by one local critic as New Zealand's version of British director Ken Loach.

Fuemana, who is of Niuean and American-Samoan descent, was born and brought up in Henderson. She is committed to seeing contemporary urban Pacific stories on the stage and screen.

"Working in the theatre, I soon realised that there weren't thousands of roles for Pacific Island women, so I started writing them. This is my culture, my background. When I started writing The Packer, I wanted to write something Polynesian, Auckland and sexy."

The packer of the title is Shane, a young man from West Auckland suburbia. He lives with his alcoholic mother, whose racist attitude is aroused when Niuean Tale and his attractive daughter, Pina, move in next door.

There's Shane's mate, Brad, who would give anything to be Polynesian, and there's gin, pot and P enough to fuel the culture clashes and sexual politics of a wild Saturday night.

Bunyan and Fuemana met on stage as extras in the Auckland Theatre Company production of A Streetcar Named Desire. They became firm friends and wanted to work together again. That led to The Packer, Fuemana's third play.

More than a year in the making, the play was written and set in Auckland, rehearsed in Melbourne, and opened in Wellington. Despite its roots in West Auckland, Bunyan and Fuemana say the play has resonated with its audiences.

"People really like the character of Brad," Bunyan says. "He's the type of character everyone recognises. He's the wigger, and he's really funny to play."

Fuemana adds that everywhere they go people recognise the white guy who wants to be black. "People overseas are fascinated with the accents. With the Pacific Island influence on Palagi culture here, in the youth culture it's cool to be Polynesian."

For Bunyan, it is cool to be a New Zealander. After The Packer he has his sights set on Los Angeles. He has had a promising meet-and-greet tour with movers and shakers there and is excited by the welcome extended to New Zealand and Australian actors.

"There is a base of Australasian actors over there who are really supportive and understand the challenges. And each one who accomplishes something makes it easier for others.

" The Packer has really helped, because Americans are blown away that we are well-trained, that we do theatre as well as film and television."

The Packer is also opening doors for Fuemana. There is interest in a screenplay based on the work and Fuemana is also putting the finishing touches on her next play, a three-hander titled My Mother Dreaming.

On stage

*What: The Packer

*Where and when: Herald Theatre, Sep 29-Oct 9