Simple Truth Theatre brings Toa Fraser's play to Dark Room

Simple Truth Theatre is grassroots and will open their new season with Toa Fraser's Pure and Deep at the Dark Room.

Directed by Rhia Firmin, producer Tyler Brailey says when the two drama students graduated from Auckland Unitec drama school, they knew they could not sit around and wait for the phone to ring.

They launched Simple Truth Theatre and toured Fraser's Bare, the prequel to Pure and Deep.

Pure and Deep are the same two characters, Venus and Dave, who met in the 90s.

Venus is Amy Atkins and Dave is Feidhlam Hall who Brailey and Firmin met at the 2019-2020 Summer Shakespeare in Palmerston North.

Brailey says Pure and Deep is in the present, and brought Venus and Dave back together after they went separate ways.

Venus and Dave each play a dozen characters who encounter the trials of social inequality and injustice.

Bare was very specific to 2014, Brailey said.

He added that the narrative changed to use words that reflected the current language.

"It is important to show the students updated references.

"One aspect of the play is the addictiveness of social media.

"There's the what ifs, of loss, grief and shock of young adults."

The play contains mature adult content for Gen-X.

"After each show we break down the play in a question and answer, to analyse the characters."

Brailey says the characters' parts are clear enough to understand.

Simple Truth Theatre filmed Pure and Deep and sent it to schools.

The students are learning about Pure and Deep for NCEA, Brailey said.

STT began the year with Gary Henderson's Unseasonable Fall of Snow about two men discovering truths about themselves.

Brailey says they will continue to with New Zealand works.

To Simple Truth, live performance in its most raw and real form is pure and magical, it can start movements, draw crowds and effect change.

Pure and Deep is at the Darkroom, 283 Church St, 7pm, July 31 and August 1; 5pm August 2. Tickets, $15 student, $20 adult.

Centrepoint.co.nz/The-Dark-Room www.simpletruth.co.nz