Scriptwriter
The Wellington season, despite some early nerves, has gone very nicely with good houses and great reviews from Theatreview and The Theatre Times. Speaking of nerves, the extended Mamea aiga attended the opening night: our Stern but Loving Parents, Awesome Sister and her girls, and Staunch Bro and his family. They said they enjoyed the show and I …
Continue reading “STILL LIFE WITH CHICKENS: final week in Wellington”
It’s all “Still Life”-this and “Still Life”-that, some of you are carping. I can’t help it. It’s a big thing for me. It’s a week out from the show’s Wellington premiere and my anxiety has increased considerably. Why the nerves, you may ask, when 1). box office returns must be pretty good, and 2). touring is the fun part …
Continue reading “STILL LIFE WITH CHICKENS: final approach to Wellington premiere”
I’ve been laggardly with this blog: Still Life With Chickens has already had three performances at Centrepoint Theatre in Palmerston North. Its Manawatū stopover has been described as “beautiful“, “poignant” and “sweet” which is pretty, uh, sweet. The Centrepoint season runs until this Sunday 15 April, after which it continues southward — whereupon the Greater Mamea …
Continue reading “STILL LIFE WITH CHICKENS: on the Manawatū Plains”
The lead up to the opening has been more public than I expected. The write-ups and mentions continued in the Herald, the Listener (hardcopy only), and Tagata Pasifika have been nice to read and watch. On opening night I was accompanied by The Lovely Wife, The Girl and The Boy, and I was very, very happy to have my family with me. The …
The play opens this Thursday. I don’t know where the time has fled. Meantime: designer John Parker was interviewed on Radio New Zealand about his love of puppetry; there are these pieces at Stuff and Mindfood; a very nice mention by Renee Liang at The Big Idea; and the programme for your taste-whetting. I’m in Wellington for the Arts Market (and …
Rehearsals are continuing apace in Auckland while life goes on in Northland. An unexpected perk on this production is the rehearsal reports I’m sent at the end of each work day: a one-pager of what happened, what’s needed, and any observations. Yesterday’s report got me cackling and yahoo-ing in the Fortress Mamea environs: And it made …
Continue reading “STILL LIFE WITH CHICKENS: rehearsal reports”
Rehearsals for Still Life With Chickens kicked off this week with an Auckland Theatre Company welcome followed by a reading, then a read-through. I got to meet and thank set, puppet and costume designer John Parker. I caught up with director Fasitua Amosa and actor Goretti Chadwick, as well as met the masterfully coiffured Chicken puppeteer Haanz Fa’avae …
Continue reading “STILL LIFE WITH CHICKENS: rehearsals commence”
