ADMIRABLE, ENTRANCING
Peninsula by Gary Henderson
Reviewed by Barbara Frame, 31 Mar 2014, originally published in Otago Daily Times
What volcano? "The volcano we're all sitting on right now," the new teacher, Mr MacIntosh, tells his class. To the kids in the primary school at Duvauchelle, on Banks Peninsula, this is a revelation. To one of them, Michael, it's life-changing.
Set somewhere around 1960, Gary Henderson's play is entrancing. There are moments of magic, notably when a family snuggles under a blanket to watch a satellite in the night sky, and when a class marvels at the simplicity of a pinhole camera. But it's not all lyrical and, when prejudice and violence crack the serenity to expose some of New Zealand society's more shameful aspects, the volcano metaphor is apt.
Director Patrick Davies describes Peninsula as "simply the best New Zealand play," and it would be hard to disagree. Davies' inspired, beautifully designed, precisely paced production does justice to the play's scope and vision. Read more...
