on stage A new year, new beginnings, new hope… After managing to get only two plays away last year, we are hoping for a full programme in 2021. We start with The Plague, a play by Neil Bartlett from the book by Albert Camus. The timing might be a little askew, but it is appropriate. The director, Dr Lilicherie McGregor, is new to our theatre but comes highly recommended and very experienced. She has taught theatre at Mt Albert Grammar School for many years, and, in a past life, toured India with a Shakespeare production. That takes some internal fortitude! She says of The Plague, “The play is a compelling adaptation of Albert Camus’ novel La Peste written in 1947, and inspired by his time in the French Resistance and living through the German occupation of France in World War II. Using Camus’ words and five actors, Neil Bartlett adapted the story for the stage in 2017 after Trump’s election win. The characters navigate a world of growing confusion and high stakes with Bartlett exploring human nature and the diversity of reactions to the unfolding crisis. Sound familiar? This is a play for the times with the UK’s The Guardian describing it as “ingenious”. As we watch this now in 2021 it will be hard not to recognise the year that was played out. This play will leave you with feelings of humour, compassion, wonder and hope. Lilicherie adds, “The Plague was a sell-out success in London in 2017 and a re-run in 2018 was also a sell-out because people could not get tickets to the first production. After the Covid lockdown in 2020, the BBC also ran it as a radio play on Radio 4.”
The Plague opens at the theatre in Lopdell House on March 16 and runs until March 27. Bookings can be made online at www. titirangitheatre.co.nz And, as is the case in all theatre companies, we start looking ahead to the next production before the current one even hits the stage. The Farm, by New Zealand playwright David Geary, is a hilarious story of a farmer and his wife about to lose the family farm and probably their marriage until a couple of lycra-clad Russian cycling tourists collide with a run-away steer and find themselves having an unscheduled kiwi “farm-stay”….. There will be a read-through cum meet-the-director, Kerynn Walsh on Monday, March 22 at 7.30pm in The Treasure House. Come and have a chat, see who else might be auditioning, and have a bit of fun. Auditions for The Farm will be held in the theatre in Lopdell House on Sunday, March 28 at 2pm. For more information phone Kerynn on 021 665 860 or email kerynnnz@gmail.com The season for The Farm runs from June 8-19, 2021. The cast comprises a husband and wife in their 40s-50s, and a couple in their 30s. We are delighted that our wardrobe is open again for all your fancy dress needs. Wednesday 4-6pm, Friday 5-7pm, and Saturdays 10am to midday. Please don’t forget to keep an eye on our website www. titirangitheatre.co.nz for upcoming events, plays, auditions, stories and pictures. – Phoebe Falconer
Local walking and cycling links are important
Kia ora te whānau ō Waitākere. As I capital fund we had been saving. write this column we have entered Focus also shifted to upgrading tracks another Covid lockdown. We hope in response to kauri dieback and to you are keeping safe. One of the fighting track closures and sales of the features of the previous lockdowns land in Glen Eden that provide links. was people’s re-discovery of the This year we have managed to get local walks and links our area is funds back into the Greenways work blessed with. programme. This includes detailed One of the reasons I ran for the board planning for links from 300 West with Future West was the commitment Coast Road into Glen Eden, between to delivering more of these local links. Clayburn Reserve and Rangeview Waitakere Ranges Local Board was The Waitākere Ranges Local Board Future West team are (left to Road and from Glendale Road to one of the early adopters of plans to right) Mark Allen, Saffron Toms, Sandra Coney and Greg Presland. Verdale Circle. We have also been deliver Greenways. Local walking and cycling links are important. They pushing planning for a link between Sunnyvale and Glen Eden along the connect communities, provide recreation and dog-walking opportunities rail line eventually joining the New Lynn to Avondale link that is being built. and, probably most importantly, offrer alternatives to car travel. They are We had wanted to continue work on the link from Savoy Road through a critical part of our climate change work, decreasing carbon emissions the park to the Glen Eden town centre but the cost was too high at this and traffic congestion. time. We looked for a different approach and were successful in getting a Our plan was adopted in 2017 after consultation and contains many grant from the Te Waka Kotahi Innovating Streets programme to pilot a link proposals including links between town centres, along the foothills and along Captain Scott Road to be installed later this year. along the rail line. (You can see it online at Auckland Council’s website if We continue to advocate for walkways when development plans come you want to see the maps). It takes into account already formed tracks and our way and we are also working to clear our roadsides and footpaths connections to neighbouring local board’s current and planned walks and and improve the roadside mowing so kids can walk to the bus stop and cycleways like the Te Whau Pathway, the rail corridor paths and Project neighbours can meet. We need more people to report problem areas. Call Twin Streams. 301 0101 or visit Council’s Report a Problem website. We have had paths installed along West We are making progress.but there is more to Coast Road and new bridges and path upgrades do and we will keep pushing. Ka kite anō. in our parks but our work has been hard hit by – Mark Allen Covid-19 budget cuts. We lost the transport Advertisement
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The Fringe MARCH 2021
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