Waipa Networks Rose and Cultural Festival

Little Theatre: Festival One-Act Plays

Earlier this year Te Awamutu Little Theatre enjoyed competitive success at the National One Act Play Festival. With no competition in the Waikato, the theatre entered two plays in the Taranaki region and took the winning prize with "Dreamwalk".

Now director Coral Taylor (left) brings these plays home to the Te Awamutu public as part of the Rose & Cultural Festival. In order to set the scene, Coral gives an introduction before each play and shares some of the experiences of the competition. This allows the audience to appreciate the efforts gone into this project and the highs and lows encountered along the way.

Coral feels that a competition environment gives the theatre team a chance to do some serious work, as opposed to general entertainment plays where most audiences tend to prefer comedy. These two plays, whilst incorporating some light-hearted moments, explore some of life's more sobering aspects such as death and disappointment with life.

Two changes were made to the cast for the Te Awamutu performances: Nathaniel Lee replaces Loren Bennett as Nurse Talbot (Riverview, Tape 23), and Hannah Hurst replaces Tracy Ellis as Alesia (Dreamwalk).

"Riverview, Tape 23"
Written by Colleen Neuman
Cast (left to right):
Lydia Parrish - Pat Jackways
Nurse Talbot - Nathaniel Lee
Kathy Davenport - Tammy Warwick

Synopsis:
Kathy, frustrated by disappointments in her journalistic career and personal life, is sent to a nursing home to interview residents about the good old days.
Today's tape is Lydia - an uncooperative, opinionated old woman who entertains herself by faking senility.
There are gritty revelations from Lydia which puncture the myth of 'the good old days'. Kathy's exasperation with her turns to respect and that sincerest form of flattery, imitation.

"Dreamwalk"
Written by Ed Kennedy
Cast (left to right):
David - Nathaniel Lee
Elizabeth - Tammy Warwick
Alesia - Hannah Hurst
Thomas - Sam Wallace

Synopsis:
Dreamwalk takes us into the lives of David and Elizabeth, two young oncology patients. They have formed a very strong bond of understanding and support for each other. But what about family and friends? This play explores attitudes to cancer and how it affects all involved.