Review: Glide Time a timeless tale

Glide Time is on at the Shambles Theatre from May 9-19. Photo/File

New Zealand circa 1976: The All Blacks had their first home turf encounter with the Irish, our men's hockey team won Montreal Olympics gold, Telethon screened.

At Wellington's Circa Theatre, fledgling playwright Roger Hall's Glide Time debuted.

It's taken 42 years for the Kiwi classic to finally glide on to the Shambles stage, its humour untouched by time.

As guest of honour at Wednesday's opening night, Hall wasn't being kind when he said our locals played it well - they did.

Set in the store's branch of an unnamed government department, personalities unravel in an atmosphere of bureaucratic form filling stretching over 40 predicable hours a week.

Computerisation may have killed such unproductive nonsense but Hall's characterisation's as fresh now as the days women knew their workforce place.

Oh the horror when it was mooted a "Treasury sheila" could become the male–dominated store's boss.

The blokes already had Beryl, brilliantly underplayed by Rachael Bell, her hierarchical role clearly defined, she fetched the tea and talked nonsense to her frequently phoning mum while her gender opposites got on with their whinging and wishful innuendo.

Leading the pack are John and Jim, played by Richard Rugg and Tim Eardly respectively; a duo who've become Shambles lynch-pins with their deadpan delivery expertise.

Portraying Welsh import Hugh Alasdair Hay's accent, plucked from the heart of the valleys, never falters.

As the boss who's finally secured promotion, Leigh Taylor makes the word colourless colourful. Then there's 17-year-old Michael, the Christian kid with an eye on a big-in-the-upper regions member of the typing pool. Bailey Wood portrays him to perfection.

Making token appearances as Wally the handyman, Mike Long rounds out this cast of classic public service characters.

If, as suspected, the farewell party's Waikato Green frothing up over Beryl's desk was an unrehearsed opening night mishap, it's the type of reality only actors of this calibre can handle with such unfazed skill.

Regardless, director Anne Potter's kept this oldie but a goodie as believable as it was when it flowed from Hall's wit-driven pen.
The details
What: Glide Time
Where: Shambles Theatre
When: Until May 19