This year, Nga Tawa is presenting a play called 33 Variations, directed by Kerry O'Sullivan.
It is about the composer Beethoven and why he wrote 33 Variations on a very ordinary tune. There are a number of sub-plots, one being the main character suffering from motor neurone disease.
The play is built
around a piano piece by Beethoven called 33 Variations on a theme of Diabelli.
Anton Diabelli was a music publisher and like all business people was dreaming up ways to make money. He sent a letter to 50 composers in Vienna asking them to write one variation on a little waltz he had written. The 50 variations would be published in one book bringing money to Diabelli and giving the composers publicity.
The only composer to refuse was Beethoven. So why did he change his mind and write not one but 33 variations?
There are eight characters in the play - Beethoven, his secretary Schindler and Diabelli, Dr Katherine Brandt, who is trying to find out why Beethoven wrote these 33 variations, Clara, her daughter who does not seem to please her mother, Mike, a male nurse, who becomes Clara's boyfriend, and Gertie who looks after Beethoven's house and all the precious manuscripts. The characters are from two different time periods.
Like any good play, there are funny moments, moments when you may feel your eyes watering up and very interesting characters.
The eighth character is the piano.
The pianist plays 25 of the 33 variations.
Performances are:
7pm Wednesday, May 11 and Saturday, May 14, with a 2pm performance on Thursday, May 12.
Directed by Kerry O'Sullivan
Tickets available from : Cathy Lusby phone 06-327-6429 (ext 7821), email lusbycathy@ngatawa.school.nz OR Sue Webber, 100% Leader & Watt (Marton).¦
Proceeds from opening night to go to Motor Neurone Disease NZ (MND NZ)
Tickets $15 adults, $10 secondary school age.
