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Pride + Prejudice

25 -28th July 2024

REVIEWS

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The Tragedy of Hamlet

by William Shakespeare

An Aidan Theatre production, directed by Kimble Henderson

South Canterbury Museum, Timaru (31 October – 2 November 2024)

Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s best-known tragedies, and probably also one of the most difficult to stage. It was written at a time when Shakespeare was changing his style to accommodate the new indoor theatres that he found himself working in, and he was aiming at more introspective storytelling and psychological complexity. 

The original Hamlet was four hours long and very wordy, as the main characters resorted to lengthy soliloquies to expose their mood changes and innermost doubts and fears. In Aidan Theatre’s approach to this play, their Halloween production, the company picks out all the best aspects, including the ghosts (plus a few more) and the now notorious Rosenkrantz and Guildenstern bit-parts, and adds in all the most famous speeches to present an absorbing and pacy version half the original length.

The unconventional venue, the South Canterbury Museum, with its silent, watchful glass cases, is evocative in itself, providing a highly intimate space for a deliberately limited audience, who are placed right in the performance area amongst the actors and so constantly part of the action.

And the action is high-octane. In her Shakespearean productions in Timaru, the director, Kimble Henderson, is developing a distinctive style, whereby the set, props, even the costumes, and other visual trappings are pared back, to throw the emphasis on what’s most important, the story line and the acting, eliciting from her cast a courageous and boisterous physicality that totally enlivens the proceedings.

The eight-member cast plays all the roles as an ensemble, performing effortlessly in the round in fully “Shakespeare-speak,” those with multiple or cross gender roles investing their changes in personality with clearly signalled changes of voice and mannerism. The cast as a whole brings a much-needed warmth and authenticity to the stage, avoiding the stereotypes that have crept into such familiar characters over time and introducing new insights into the script, new ways of looking at who these people are, and why they behave the way they do. They come across as real people.

While all the acting is of a high standard and all cast members are to be uniformly applauded as they engage with one another in their various complicated relationships on stage, special mention needs to be made of Connor Haley in the difficult title role. With the generous support of the rest of the cast, this Hamlet, with his bravado, his touching sincerity, and open vulnerability has created for this reviewer a genuinely new characterisation, his increasing bewilderment and then grief as the action spins out of control means that the (spoiler alert) famously Gothic ending of the play is brought down to a more human level, the full import of the tragedy believable and strong. 

Having said all this, nevertheless kudos is due to the design team. The “look” of the play, while observing only the essentials, nevertheless succeeds in creating a dignified, imaginary world, just this side of fantasy. The clever set is a simple, black X-shape (repeated on the T-shirts of the cast and in the posters), mounted on a low platform in amongst the audience, with empty picture frames and enigmatic mirrors on the walls behind, opening up the space and subtly suggesting further corridors of power and intrigue in some other dimension. The cast and crew are dressed in unfussy black, somehow in modern dress but with the addition of black and white ruffs and other telling period details in colour - hats, scarfs, veils, jackets, and the like – which together have a pleasingly neat and clean chiaroscuro effect, rather like a Rembrandt painting. The sound and lighting are unobtrusive but so important in complementing the overall emotionality of the show. As for the effective and sometimes quirky props, suffice to say that umbrellas are becoming an Aidan trademark!

The production, then, fully honours Shakespeare’s intentions, while still feeling fresh and up to date in its steadily growing sense of powerlessness. The import of the play, indeed, is localised and meaningful (yes, think of the closing of the freezing works). Congratulations to all!

Cast

Hamlet                        Connor Haley

Gertrude                     Bronwyn Chittock

Claudius                      Andrew Brinsley-Pirie*

Polonia                        Sian Leyland

Bernado/Laertes/Guildenstern    Maximilian Hunt

Ophelia                       Eleanor Rarity

Horatio/Rosencrantz  Prea Miller

Gravedigger/Osric      Grant Hall

*Due to illness, Chris Rapley was unable to play Claudius, so visiting actor, Andrew Brinsley-Pirie, stepped in at very short notice and played the role instead.

 

Production

Director                       Kimble Henderson

Set Designer               Geoff Cunningham-Beynon

Set Building                 David Henderson, Joe Smith, Geoff Cunningham-Beynon

Costumes and Properties       Sue Connolly, Kimble Henderson

Front of House and Crew       Jo Williams, Louise Holman, Megan Holden, Sue Connolly, Karen Stephen, Joe Smith, Soraya Hunt

Venue                          South Canterbury Museum

Photography               Brad Reeve Photography

Printing                       All About Signs

Ticketing                     Humanitix

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PRIDE + PREJUDICE

Romance and High Tea in Regency England

A dramatized version of Pride + Prejudice by Jane Austen

25-28 July 2024

 

Take one much loved Jane Austen tale, add lashings of humour, gleefully contrasting characters, simple but clever set design and the magic of live theatre. The result is a delightfully playful – yet civilised and thoroughly entertaining production of Pride and Prejudice, thoughtfully adapted for the stage by Kimble Henderson and Prea Millar. 

Upon entering the theatre space, we were impressed with the details given to the set design to create an environment that transported us to another time and space. From the moment the cast appeared, Henderson’s direction encouraged a sense of play and discovery. The script adaptation was deftly handled and allowed for seamless scene transitions and an easy flow of the story. There was one letter writing scene that left me a little confused, however the story was not lost, and I was quickly back into the flow of the narrative.

Elizabeth Bennet was brought to life by the talents of Prea Millar, who entertained with her sense of comedic timing, but also impressed with the intelligent delivery of her dialogue and the drive of the show was led by her energy. Luke Robb was a very capable match for Millar’s acting talents in the role of Mr Darcy. The stern and thoughtful character was a clear contrast to Elizabeth and his strong delivery of dialogue was a pleasure to listen to. I enjoyed their snappish banter together, however found myself longing for some more chemistry as their relationship progressed. 

Kem Callaghan portrayed the lovely Jane Bennett with energy and a lightness that imbued a gentle and kind spirit, this was matched wonderfully by Chris Rapley in the role of Mr Bingley who was a favourite with some of the ladies in the audience for his charmingly nervous energy and devotion to Jane. Their romance was sweet and so much fun to follow.

A standout performance for her outstanding comedic antics and sense of drama was Bronwyn Chittock in the role of Mrs Bennet. Chittock played the role with gay abandon and had the audience in fits of laughter throughout. This energy was matched in the contrast of her two younger daughters, the ditzy and impulsive Lydia Bennet played ably by Soraya Hunt and the ‘invisible child’, Mary Bennet played by Leah Simmons, who provided some magic moments in her efforts to gain the notice of her family.

Special mention must go to Sian Leyland, whose opening of the show and sharply delivered dialogue added just the right touch of ‘Mean Girl’ to Miss Bingley, a character whom I had not previously given much thought to, and now whom I love to hate.

The ballroom scenes were really brought to life and a joy to watch with elegant period dancing choreographed by Annette Crowley-Adams. These scenes felt immersive with characters holding side conversations, dancing, and plenty of side-eye action. 

It was a delight to watch ‘one of the classics’ be brought to life by performers who embraced the humour and energy of their characters. Henderson and the Aidan Players are to be congratulated for providing an immersive experience that delighted the audience and brought fun and light in the middle of a winter’s day. 

 

By Rebecca Rush

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EMMA

An Evening in Regency England

A dramatized version of Emma by Jane Austen

7-10 June 2023

 

In the programme notes, director Kimble Henderson states: “Theatre has the capability to transport us to different worlds.” This dramatized version of Jane Austen’s famous novel Emma (published in 1815) certainly transports us from frosty NZ to England under the Regency of George, Prince of Wales (1811-1820). From the moment we enter the spacious (and mercifully warm) hall of the Timaru Scottish Society, we’re ushered back in time to a more gracious age. Around the walls are decorative arrangements of pretty, old-fashioned artefacts – parasols, hats, jewellery, flowers – and the cast sits alongside these, in costume, in character, waiting for their cue. In front of them, the audience is seated at tables surrounding the central performance space. The subtle, clever lighting design, using mainly ordinary light bulbs rather than harsh stage lights, draws us in and contributes to the otherworldly ambience.

The performance area itself is simply furnished with two benches, a rug, an armchair and a small table. The various scenes that take place in assorted country houses are suggested by changing cloths and ornaments. Leafy umbrellas create a woodland, and ingenious spinning parasols suggest carriages. Props are minimal, brought on when necessary, and the period costumes, designed by Sue Connolly, are simple and effective – black tailcoats and showy white cravats for the men, and high waisted, “Empire line” frocks for the women – ranging from white for the members, to pale colours for the secondary roles and more emphatic shades for the leading roles.  

All this makes for cosy, intimate theatre, where scene changes are swift and smooth and the audience feels fully part of the action, while still allowing plenty of room for the actors to inhabit the space.

Throughout, this large cast works well together, moving around one another and on and off the ‘stage’, their movements mirroring the slight formality and precision of Jane Austen’s prose. The backbone of this production is the ensemble: nine actors playing multiple parts and, like a Greek chorus, commenting on the action as gossips. On stage most of the time, their presence brings warmth and focus to the production overall (a special mention here for James Grice, Soraya Hunt, and Grace Steele).

Most of the lead roles act as foil to the eponymous Emma, who quite rightly takes centre stage. Daringly, Austen originally planned for Emma to be a flawed heroine whom “no one would like.” “Handsome, clever, and rich,” she is all too human, but of course we do like her. She is like us. In this production, Samantha Molyneux glories in the opportunity to bring out Emma’s complexity as she moves from bossy attempts at match-making, through trying to sort out the romantic mix-ups that ensue, and then to grow into a humbler, wiser woman by the end of the story. In this process she is aided by the ubiquitous Mr. Knightly (Chris Rapley), who, we find, has lessons of his own to learn.

It is always good to see characters and their attitudes changing in the course of a play. A particular strength of this production is the overall avoidance of stereotype and caricature. All the characters have their shortcomings but also an endearing humanity. Naïve young lovers Harriet Smith and Robert Martin are delightfully portrayed by Steph Gilbert-Keen and Jack Steele. The enigmatic Frank Churchill (Hemi Anglem) and Jane Fairfax (Eleanor Rarity) manage to extricate themselves from various misunderstandings. Comic complications are skilfully introduced in the scenes with Mr. and Mrs. Elton (John Willers and Sian Leyland) and Miss Bates (Laura McLeod). Meanwhile kindly but bemused friends Mr and Mrs Weston (David Henderson and Claudia Huerta), Mr. and Mrs Cole (Grant Hall and Eva Hunt), and John and Isabella Knightley (Grant Hall and Teresa Blackbeard) try valiantly to disentangle the muddles, and, as happy-ever-afters approach, Mr Woodhouse (Dave Mortimer), in his own little world, presides benignly over them all.

Henderson and her editor, Sian Leyland, are to be congratulated on their accomplished adaptation of this complex novel. Their two-act play follows the original storyline faithfully with clear markers for the storyline, and the dialogue, while modified to suit the dramatic context (and a modern audience), still captures the lively wit and elegance of the characters’ speech. The actors in their turn clearly understand the story, and the part they play in its unfolding, and they have no difficulty putting across the “Englishness” of their lines.

All in all, we were indeed transported. The attentive audience came out happy and smiling, having enjoyed total immersion in Jane Austen-land.  

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Gail Tatham

Macbeth Winter Shakespeare
Macbeth
Macbeth
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Macbeth

Review By: Cynthia McCaughan

October 2020

 

Presented in the old church at Kingsdown Manor, the soaring space and gothic windows evoked a different time and place. The audience occupied two long tables on each side of a central aisle, as if in a banquet hall, which made viewing the action a challenge. Cast members sat quietly at the front: all was calm. Then, larger than life, the weird sisters, played by Kimble Henderson, Sasha Frame and Katie Parenzan entered from behind the audience, trailing cloaks of white, brown and black, chanting in rounds rather than unison, the words repeated, doubled and reverberated. Instantly the atmosphere was transformed. Hair stood up on arms. We were no longer an audience, but in the thick of it; wide awake, witnesses - fellow conspirators, even.

Not ugly witches but strange beings - part spirit, part winged beast, the weird sisters remained onstage for most of the play, perched above the cast. Their postures, wails and screams in response to other character’s lines throughout, literally made the audience jump in their seats. This device reminded us that invisible but powerful forces were at play. They cursed and protected; they hid and revealed; the sisters periodically stretching their ‘wings’, concealed the dead Banquo, then revealed him to a horrified Macbeth.

Macbeth, played by Dave Mortimer was superbly cast. The Scottish accent comes naturally, but the attention to detail – the Celtic spiral shaved pate, and his expressive, yet often subtle movements, especially in his asides when he agonised over his decisions   . . .” Is this a dagger which I see before me, The handle toward my hand?” or cringed in revulsion at Banquo’s ghost had the audience’s rapt attention, if not sympathy: here is a real man who begins as a hero with faults, tender to his wife, but who is soon caught up in an ever downward spiral.  Too late, Macbeth realizes by his bloody deed he has ‘murdered sleep’; his peace of mind - “Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleeve of care, The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath, Balm of hurt minds. . ,“ - thus the sub-title of this production;  Sleep no more  becomes apparent.

Anita Dawson powerfully conveyed the sheer nastiness of her character, the ambitious Lady Macbeth. She was terrifying in her own ambitions and relentless drive of Macbeth when he wavered. She spits out her scathing criticism privately to Macbeth when he breaks down in front of guests and in the next breath is sweet falsity, swiftly reassuring the crowd.  It almost comes as a relief that she is consumed by madness and loses the plot with sleep walking and excessive handwashing. Macbeth, when he learns of his wife’s demise gives the memorable observation:

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more: it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

Banquo, former friend then victim to Macbeth’s paranoia was played by Tim Sherry, another accomplished actor who brought presence to the stage. Sherry’s skill was evident in the most dreadful gurning and grimacing, a silent but powerful revenge on Macbeth. 

Malcolm played by Kate Low and MacDuff played Ashton Buckingham also give vibrant and assured performances, Low bringing a strong noble bearing to her role, while MacDuff’s disbelief at his family’s murder was particularly moving, translating to his furious final dispatch of Macbeth: “I have no words: My voice is in my sword”. David Henderson who appears as both Duncan and Siward, too was believable in his roles.

The porter, ably played by Lizzie Dawson, provided a foil to the main players as a commoner: a wry observer and humble servant. Hilarious satire introduced in the form of the “Porter’s poem” by Andrew Paul Wood, especially commissioned for this production, was another chance for interaction with the audience. Full of saucy alliteration which drew much laughter, the allusion to modern day society and politics; self-absorption, ambition, greed and down-fall reminds all that the “Scottish Play” makes for a timeless tale.

From teens to those with decades of experience, many of the company played multiple parts. Aided by a slight change in hairstyle, costume or props; the audience had to keep their wits to identify new characters. Clever direction meant the entire space was used for unexpected exits and entrances, with apparitions appearing at the side and soldiers advancing through the midst of the audience.  Attention to detail, such as the slight pause the assassin gave before plunging the knife into the cradle of baby MacDuff emphasized the horror of Macbeth’s relentless murdering purge.

Excellent voice projection, intonation and pace made the different characters and their stories authentic and relevant. It is a challenge to bring Shakespeare’s language alive to a modern audience, realistic pauses, gestures and interaction between the players makes this believable, all the more commendable given the company achieved this rapport with rehearsals disrupted by lock-down.

Effective use of percussive devices, drums and door-thumping added to the suspense, although for this viewer, the supposed hoof beats were too regular to identify as such – a minor quibble. Lighting was well managed, and other effects like the cauldron “smoke” added to the atmosphere. Props, although minimal were on point; enough to give the suggestion without being distracting.

The op-shop-meets-Outlander costumes were created with much thought and flair on a tight budget. Clever restyling of several existing garments into one, some inside out, others patched with tartan, combinations of braids, trimmings, brooches and buttons, hand knitted helmets and neck wear lent a quirky grunge style to the production. However, Lady Macbeth’s undeniably beautiful kimono seemed oddly out of place for a play set in 11th century Scotland. In contrast the plain golden band that crowned the kings; Duncan, Macbeth, and finally Malcolm was perfect in conveying all it signified in its simplicity.

In all I found this production fast paced, exciting and enthralling. To be captivated and moved by a play that has been seen in so many forms over the years is a credit to the clever direction by Gail Tatham and the commitment from the various actors and the production team to bring their vision to fruition.  Aidan Theatre Company can be justly proud of this production.

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Too Much Punch for Judy - Tours

2020-21

Aidan Theatre and Kimble Henderson have built a relationship with author and playwrite Mark Wheeller of Too Much Punch for Judy since 2015, having now performed his play over 5 seasons. 

2020-21 was a big step forward taking this play and its message about drink driving, around South Island and Wellington High schools.​  Unfortunately Covid and lock-downs finished the tour for us. 

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FEEDBACK

An effective work of theatre, it will stay with me for a long time."

Jess Young - Refuge Caseworker and Facilitator

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Young people are greatly at risk for making wrong decisions when they start driving unsupervised. They have a one out of ten chance of being involved in a crash at this age. This play may help each person watching, to gain the skillset to handle it.

Daniel Naudé - Road Safety Coordinator for South Canterbury

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Seeing this play made me think more deeply about drink driving than a standard talk about it ever did... It highlights the harsh reality in terms of the emotional toll and trauma drink driving causes.

 Charlotte, Craighead Diocesan School

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"I personally think all high school ages should be watching this, a lot have older siblings learning to drive and making decisions around alcohol... The message was loud and clear, "Don't get in a car and drive after any drink!"

 Jane Bowen, Restaurant owner/operator

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“The show was very worthwhile. It deals with a serious issue in an entertaining and thought-provoking way, giving the audience plenty of opportunities to make their own mental connections to behaviours that they may have observed or experienced in some ways themselves. ..."  

​Tina Johnson Temuka (Principal) Opihi College​​

Too Much Punch For Judy 2015 Director Kimble Henderson

Too Much Punch for Judy

Timaru Herald 2015

Written By: Mark Wheeller

Directed By: Kimble Henderson

 

Rebecca Rush, Drama teacher at Mountainview High School has given her students a unique opportunity this year to flex their acting muscles, under the direction of Kimble Henderson. Kimble, who is studying A Master of Theatre Arts in Directing, through the prestigious Toi Whakaari New Zealand Drama School, has chosen to collaborate with the students as part of her degree. The group bring to Timaru audiences, Mark Wheeller's Too Much Punch for Judy. 

 

Kimble has worked this group of teenagers into a very proficient ensemble telling the modern morality play about drink driving, centred around Judy. Bringing the tale to life are the accounts of those affected by her actions. Too Much Punch for Judy is a prime example of what a powerful medium the Theatre can be; it has throughout the last ten years that it has been circulating reached millions of audience members worldwide with its message. The use of retro classic party music we all know so well reminds us this play an "everymans" story and could be anyone’s story. 

 

A sharp and confident ensemble work their way around an abstractly gridded stage, with moveable stage pieces being choreographed seamlessly in sync. Their movements mimic a modern day version of a chorus in a Greek tragedy, moving as one. The focussed cast through imagination of Kimble can take us quickly from a night on the town - to the sudden and grizzly scene of an accident with just a few stage pieces and a couple of banged up old car doors.

 

Tori McNoe steals the show as the idiosyncratic Judy, who moves effortlessly from wildly effervescent to calmly sincere. Tori is a very impressive natural talent with a strong stage presence. Melissa Laby plays Judy's sister, Jo, slipping between Jo's character and part of the ensemble with ease. Abby Forrester plays Judy's grounded Mother confidently, while Alex Gourdie, a very late addition to the cast, brings a simple sincerity that is well beyond his years. Also worth a mention is James Kirkby's commanding yet natural portrayal of Chris Caten. Joining the rest of the cast are the company of Prea Miller, Kaitlyn Radcliffe, Oliver Larsen and Christian Sloper - who should all be very proud of their professional and attentive performances. Kimble has clearly worked her magic by instilling the importance of working together within this tight-knit group. 

 

The lighting, sound and set design is visually striking and in keeping with the abrupt script changes in mood and tone. The change of pace and mood is sometimes so quick that it really highlights that anything can change in an instant - reflecting the prime moral of the story... "It was just another night on the piss... but it wasn't.” Too Much Punch for Judy seems like a process, where with each performance the actors are learning more, constantly evolving and learning more about themselves and the story of Judy, uncovering the many layers of the story. Which is exactly what theatre should be. 

 

What really is to be taken away from this play is how fortunate this group of fresh faced students is to have the chance to work on such an abstract and out of the box project, while maintaining traditional theatre principles, such as working together, being truthful and the beauty in simplicity. This show is a true testament to both Kimble Henderson and Rebecca Rush who have provided Mountainview Students with this opportunity. Those who have put their hands up to step out of their comfort zone with this show have truly been rewarded with an experience that none of them should be quick to forget. Congratulations to Kimble and cast for bringing something fresh to the Theatre world of Timaru. 

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If you would like to see No More Punch for Judy you can see it on the 29th September at 2pm, 30th September, 1 October, 2 October at 7.30pm - at Mountainview High School Auditorium. $5- or Koha entry. It is recommended for 13 years plus as some content may offend.

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Review By: Catherine Smith (Writer/Dramaturg) 

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