Preparation for big city trip

MWOMAM JAMES Franco and Chris O'Dowd in a scene from Of Mice and Men. PICTURE / SUPPLIED

JOAN: We are about to spend some more family time in Auckland. Hence another trip to the bus station to book our seats. Since our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren moved there, we have made the trip numerous times by coach. People groan when we tell them that it takes eight hours but we really enjoy it. At the station, Mike stands with the luggage where the rear of the bus will be when it arrives from Palmie. I stay where the entrance is and, when those who need to get off, I quickly mount the high steps and find a double right hand seat, hopefully about half way down. Mike joins me there and we relax into our seats, books, papers and water bottle in the rack in front of us and seat belts fastened. A reminder not to forget the latter is part of the driver's patter as we leave the city. We know his script as if it was our own!
Our driver as far as Taumaranui is usually Robert. We presume he lives in Palmerston North as he returns there by changing with the bus driver coming down from Auckland, doing our journey in reverse. He is a real gentleman. Totally professional, he drives smoothly, speaks graciously to his passengers and copes with all needs and idiosyncrasies. The seats that we occupy are high enough for us to see a wide panorama of the towns and countryside we travel through. I never tire of this, no matter what the weather. The bus maintains a comfortable temperature and I can doze, read or gaze out.
The half hour stop at "Big T", as we have come to know it, gives us the chance to stretch our legs, to partake of normally forbidden food such as pie and cheesecake, and to observe how a destination known to many in its railway heyday, manages still to struggle on. Its citizens seem to still feel a loyal pride in their surroundings. The cafe owners are always kind and friendly and it nearly always is sunny enough to sit outside.
We stop at Te Awamutu and Te Kuiti. Hamilton allows us a comfort stop and after whizzing along the motorway, the Sky Tower soon comes into view. We exit the bus refreshed and grateful for another good trip. We look forward to the return journey. Thank you to Intercity for an excellent service.
JOAN: This visit to Auckland included an evening at the the delightful Q Theatre to see Daffodils, a New Zealand play based on the life of the author, Rochelle Bright's parents. The pre-set consisted of two parallel narrow carpet runners stretching from a dark cyclorama at the back to the front of the stage where each single microphone was lit by a spot. To one side were the subtly lit instruments of the three musicians who were to play such an integral part in the performance. Two young actors, Todd Emerson and Colleen Davis, narrated and acted out the story. Dressed in the everyday gear of their first meeting, they moved in and out of their spotlights, individually or simultaneously. At times, they sang. We recognised hits by Crowded House, Chris Knox, The Mutton Birds, Bic Runga and Dave Dobbin.The words were apt to the story, the music evoking our memories as well as theirs. The musicians supported their excellent singing voices and played under their narrative, adding strength to their words.
The actors remained in their own areas, not looking towards each other until the very end, no matter how intimate the scene.
Two youngsters, 16 and 18, meet, she squiffy after a night out, he entranced by her. They date. He goes off to do his OE. He returns early, missing her. They marry. They have children. He works hard. She brings up the children. This should be a simple tale with a happy if predictable ending. However, the daffodil symbol prevents this. Eric and Rose met at exactly the same place as his parents ... in a field of daffodils. Eric's father is a philanderer. Rose knows this. One night Eric's father dies in the home of his mistress. Eric secretly carries him home. No one knows that he didn't die in his own bed. Eric works later and later. Rose suspects "like father, like son". Eric brings Rose home a bunch of daffodils. The scene is set for a tragedy and not an ending we, the audience, expect.
The play is touring New Zealand. It is excellent theatre. I found it most memorable, well written, energetically performed with perfect timing, pathos and understanding and I loved the music.
MIKE: A few weeks ago, at the Embassy 3 cinema, we saw the film of the National Theatre production of The Crucible. This series featuring top British actors, has been a bonus for theatre lovers. Last week, in Auckland, we saw Of Mice and Men, adapted for the stage from John Steinbeck's well loved novel. Such a short, simple story but so exquisitely moulded.
His seminal Grapes of Wrath, life in Depression-era America, is graphically and painfully drawn by the author. The effort needed to scratch out a living in the dust bowls of farmland, the exhausting struggle, both physical and mental, is portrayed so realistically that it becomes almost unbearable for the reader.
Of Mice and Men has a simpler theme, two men, Lennie and George, travelling the country and taking on farm work wherever they can find it.
The twist to this story is that Lennie, a huge man physically, with enormous strength, is mentally retarded, possessing the gentle, peaceful nature of a child. His companion and "minder" is George, who, at times, rages against the constraints placed on his life by his commitment to Lennie, yet his genuine affection for his charge shows through.
All Steinbeck novels contain imperfect beings, "people who God didn't quite finish off". Consequently pathos plays a large part in his writing and Of Mice and Men is no exception. The story unfolds like a Greek tragedy, the ending being one of the most unbearably poignant scenes that I have ever read - or, in this case, seen, and the National Theatre production did not disappoint. The play was filmed during its final performance in New York. The main actors, James Franco and Chris O'Dowd, delivered extremely powerful and moving, totally convincing performances. If you have the opportunity to see the film, don't miss it.
¦Ideas and comments to mjstreet@xtra.co.nz