21 August, 2015
life+style The Weekend Sun Ë›
Flavours, food and ambience Page 2
THE WEEKEND
Sonic Theatre
Rikki Swannell
Beks Anderson
Teresa Hodges
Devon Williamson
Lee Murray
°
life+style The Weekend Sun 21 29August, March, 2015 2019
A fusion of flavour Creating the perfect dining experience
For a winning combination of flavour and style, all you have to do is sit down, relax and let everything be taken care of. Lloyd Rooney and Mike Fraser have always had strong roots in the Mount Maunganui culture, so it was no surprise when they took the opportunity to open a restaurant in the area. They were more than happy to ride that wave. Interior designer and restaurateur Lloyd and farmer Mike have a knack of creating successful ventures wherever they go. They now own six restaurants dotted all over the North Island. Their latest editions, Fire and No.8, which both opened in December 2018, are settled side-by-side overlooking the Mount’s new urban green space at 113 Maunganui Road. Fire serves New Zealand/Europeanstyled food with a South Pacific twist and smoked, slow-cooked meats, while No.8 offers an array of modern Asian-styled dishes, giving you the chance to share each plate with friends. “My partner Mike and his family have a beach house at the Mount which they’ve had for 40 years,” says Lloyd, “so he’s been coming here ever since he was born. “When I first came to New Zealand from the UK this was the first place I visited. Mike and I also had our civil union at the
Lloyd Rooney and Mike Fraser
knowledge in dairy farming, having owned a cattle farm prior to taking up their fourth restaurant. From this they have learned a lot about quality, and which cuts are best for each dish. “When people come to our restaurants we want them to just sit down and everything will be taken care of,” says Lloyd, “from breakfast, lunch or dinner. “Going out to a restaurant is more than just filling your tummy with food - it’s about going out, having a dining experience and walking into an environment that’s beautiful and welcoming.” Sharnae Hope
Photo: Daniel Hines
Mount, so this place means a lot to both of us.” Lloyd says they originally had plans to open only one restaurant at the Mount, but they quickly took on the challenge of creating another that was cohesive with Fire while standing on its own. “I came up with the idea of two restaurants when the place became available next door,” he says, “so No.8 would be in the same building but become its own restaurant. It means people can choose to have New Zealand/European food or modern Asian. “It’s a similar concept to our Whangarei restaurants, where I opened up Quay before the restaurant behind it came on the market and I turned it into No.8.” In keeping with Lloyd and Mike’s other restaurants, Fire and No.8 use fresh, local, organic produce wherever possible, as well as freshly caught seafood and regionally farmed meat to support their ‘gate to plate’ philosophy. With the current momentum towards veganism, the two restaurants also provide a variation of dishes that cater to everyone’s needs. Lloyd says: “We use local suppliers for the majority of our produce and we have a growing arm in Northland called the Vege Shack, which we own. “It grows spray free and organic produce. “It supplies produce for all the Northland restaurants and we try to supply the Mount restaurants with as much of that produce as we can, so that we can guarantee what’s going on the plate is good.” Their expertise also transitions across the board. Currently, Fire and No.8 have three chefs working between the kitchens with a combined total of 26 Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards, allowing them to adapt and freshen up the menus throughout the seasons. Lloyd and Mike also have extensive
29 March, 2019
life+style The Weekend Sun 3
Sonic Theatre Melanie Mills has come up with a novel way to get non movie-going kids in front of the big screen for the very first time. Sonic Cinema is already a proven success, with students, care givers and teachers beyond impressed. Deputy Principal of Greerton Village School, Kimberley Henderson-Ginns, says many of their children have yet to attend the movies, but they returned from Sonic Cinema having loved the entire experience. “We sent about 12-to-15 children, with staff, to the sensory cinema,” says Kimberley. “There were a range of needs. Some are autistic, some are visually impaired, and some children are in wheelchairs. “Melanie sent lots of information about the theatre so they could prepare before they went. When they returned, the students and staff were beyond excited. It was an incredible experience.” Melanie describes the theatre as a fun, inclusive cinematic experience for people with sensory, neurological and physical impairments. “When the lights are down and sound is up, it can be incredibly stressful and intimidating for some people,” she says. She has been running the Cult Cinema Club at the Historic Village Cinema on 17th Avenue since 2017. “Sonic came about because going to the cinema isn’t always a straight forward activity for some people. We wanted to make adaptions and cater to their comfort so they can enjoy it.” She approached Blair Graham at Tauranga Historic Village, and before the first Sonic Theatre event was
PA PA M OA Porcelain Skin PA PA M OA Papamoa PorcelainPlaza Skin PPapamoa 07 542 4505 Plaza P 07 542 4505 P 07 542 4505 TAU R A N G A TAU NGA Tauranga Specialist PA PARMAOA TAU R A NGA Tauranga Centre • 752 Cameron PorcelainSpecialist Skin Tauranga Specialist Rd PACentre M OA Centre • 752 Cameron Papamoa Plaza PARd • 752 P 07 571Cameron 5548 Rd Porcelain Skin 5714505 5548 P P0707 542 P 07 571 5548 Papamoainfo@doctoranuya.nz Plaza info@doctoranuya.nz info@doctoranuya.nz TAU R A N G A P 07 542www.doctoranuya.nz 4505 www.doctoranuya.nz www.doctoranuya.nz Tauranga Specialist Centre • 752 CameronTAU Rd R A N G A P 07 571 5548
held, a specially-designed access ramp was put in place. “Tauranga City Council strives to make the city accessible to everyone, so that people are able to move about easily and safely without being limited by the environment,” says Blair. “When Melanie approached us with her idea, we were very keen to work with her to achieve the best result. We are supportive of any initiative that has a positive effect on people’s inclusion. It has been extremely rewarding for us to know it has already made a difference.” “With each screening, the lights are left on but they’re very dim,” says Melanie. ”The volume is turned down, and patrons can make as much noise as they want. “Even though it seats 60 people, the maximum we have at each event is 30, so they can move around and be comfortable. “All of their sensory needs are met within that room. Essentially, we want to make it an enjoyable experience for them.” “One of the mums was so grateful because she never thought her child would be able to handle being in a movie theatre,” says Kimberley. “Because of this, she feels she can take her again.” Sonic Theatre is sponsored by Tauranga City Council, The Historic Village, Simpson Greirson, Legacy Accountants and LowercaseG. Although there will be public events, such as a screening of Moana in March, Sonic can also be booked for private groups. Tickets to screenings are $5 and include popcorn and juice. Caregivers attend free of charge. For Melanie, who once worked in disability services in Perth, it feels like her life has come full circle. Rosalie Liddle Crawford
PA PA M OA Porcelain Skin Papamoa Plaza
Tauranga Specialist Centre • 752 Cameron Rd info@doctoranuya.nz
P 07 571 5548 www.doctoranuya.nz
info@doctoranuya.nz www.doctoranuya.nz
Aching, cramping, restless or swollen legs? Varicose veins may be causing these symptoms. Call to book an assessment with Dr Anuya to see what can be done non surgically for your varicose or spider veins. BOOK YOUR CONSULATION TODAY AND BE ONE STEP CLOSER TO HEALTHIER LEGS
Melanie Mills
Photos: Bruce Barnard
Beyond compare for those impaired
4
29August, March, 2015 2019 life+style The Weekend Sun 21
Business women’s conference Forging your own path The Business Women’s Network an arm of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce - is hosting its biennial Craigs Investment Partners and Cooney Lees Morgan Regional Business Women’s Conference in May. Taking place on May 17 and 18 at Trinity Wharf, Tauranga, the theme ‘forging your own path’ is about breaking the mould. Success takes a different form for everyone, and to make our dreams and aspirations possible we sometimes have to make uncomfortable choices and take risks. “Rikki Swannell will be the MC and is also speaking at the Friday night dinner” says network chairperson and Cooney Lees Morgan Partner Mary Hill. “People will get to know her before the full conference programme gets underway on the Saturday.” The event has an exciting programme, starting with a dinner on the Friday evening, followed by a full day of speakers on the Saturday. Speakers include Lisa King, 2019
New Zealander of the year finalist, social entrepreneur and founder of Eat my Lunch, Dr Farah Palmer, lecturer and former captain of the Black Ferns, Sandra Clair, founder of Artemis, health scientist and traditional plant medicine expert, Tonia Cawood, chair of Chiefs Rugby board, independent chartered director and advisor, and local fashion business entrepreneurs Teresa Hodges, founder of Blak, and Rebecca Anderson, founder of Chaos and Harmony. “I’m super excited to come to the conference,” says Rikki. “I think the Business Women’s Network is so important. “For me working in an environment that is largely men, what people are surprised to hear is that I have this great army of women who are so supportive. A lot of us are friends.” “Women particularly enjoy this conference because we limit registrations to about 200 to keep it intimate,” says Mary. “We think women enjoy the weekend at Trinity Wharf, away from home life. It provides opportunities for women new to the region and locals alike to come and expand their networks.”
Rikki Swannell Sports journalist, broadcaster and commentator Rikki Swannell is carving out her dream job. “I get paid to watch sport for a living,” says Rikki. “You still have days where it’s a job, but 99.9 per cent of the time you’re in a very privileged position.” Over the last year, Rikki became the first female rugby commentator in New Zealand. She recalls the day her parents were asked if they could stop her staying up at night to watch sports, because she was arriving at school tired. “My whole family are sports nuts,” she says. “My dad’s English, so his side are all football people, while my mum’s side are mad Kiwi sports fans. My nana and aunty, who have passed away now, were sports-mad women. My dad will watch any sport, and I don’t know any different as both sides of my family are into it.” Growing up, the ex-Otumoetai College student played a lot of different sports. “Anybody who went to Otumoetai would not be surprised to learn that volleyball was the main sport I played,” she laughs, recalling teacher Stu Henderson, who was legendary for coaching volleyball. “They knew I loved sport and really encouraged me.
“There was nothing wrong with a 15-yearold girl that wanted to talk rugby. I always asked why I couldn’t go on the rugby trips at intermediate, but I’m not very tall. “I was a sporty kid, but I was never going to be anything great. For me it was about hanging out with my mates, being a part of a team and being active. “I’m always so grateful that some of my best friends in the world are girls I went to Otumoetai with, and played volleyball with 20 years ago.” She loves turning up early to stadiums. “There’s nothing like the unscripted theatre of a sporting event,” says Rikki. “The buzz of a crowd, and getting to watch these incredible athletes at some of the greatest events in the world, is a total privilege. “I get to the stadium really early before it opens. You watch the whole crew behind the scenes getting everything ready and the athletes that are wandering around. Hearing the ‘gates opening in five’ announcement and watching people flood in is one of my favourite things.” After leaving college, Rikki went to broadcasting school before starting at Radio Sport in 2003. “I spent a couple of years in London doing my OE and working freelance, and when I came back around 2008, I went to Radio
Some of the best iconic tours from New Zealand and Australia. Murray River & Adelaide Sights, Great Barrier Island, Molesworth & Rainbow Stations, Twenty Tunnels Rail Cart Adventure, Top of the South & Warbirds Over Wanaka|Autumn in Central Otago
2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 0 TO U R SE A SO N
Phone Carlene: 07 281 1519 or 0800 00 58 43 www.southerncrosspartners.co.nz
Phone. 0800 33 99 33 uniqueholidaytours.co.nz
29 March, 20192015 21 August,
“The buzz of a crowd, and getting to watch these incredible athletes at some of the greatest events in the world, is a total privilege”
Sport and Newstalk ZB. I was a sports editor from 2010 until 2016. “I had already been picking up work at Sky while working at Radio Sport, doing netball and tennis. In 2016 I decided to move on and go freelance - I picked up a bit more with Sky and picked up rugby. Then the sevens came along.” She’s been freelancing now for about two-and-ahalf years, as well as doing a bit of writing, media training and MC work. “Whoever will employ me, really!” she says. She’s been sculpting out a solid role as a sports commentator, commanding respect amongst colleagues and sports fans as she calls the play. “In commentary terms I’m still fairly young,” says Rikki. “You look at someone like Grant Nisbett, who has commentated on hundreds of tests. In that respect, I’ve got a long way to go. “I’m very aware of my role as the broadcaster. I’m the play-by-play person. I’m not there to give my analysis of a ruck. People don’t care what I think about what might be wrong with a lineout. It’s about me guiding them.” She’s also commentated on the West Indies One Day International series, as well as Sky netball, Sky rugby and plenty of tennis. An exuberant person, she takes that same energy into broadcasting. “I like the faster-paced sports, like rugby and netball. It suits my style better. “I also cover tennis, where you’re quiet for large parts and then you’ve got to find the moment. That
Interviewing Samantha Charlton at the Rio Olympics
has similarities to cricket. “I don’t have a favourite sport. It’s a bit like picking your favourite book or favourite child. At the moment I’m commentating on netball and rugby, then I’m doing a lot of sevens rugby. And I love doing the Olympics, hockey and rowing. “While there’s the dos and don’ts of commentary and broadcasting, you have to find your own style across a variety of sports and constantly adapt. I don’t turn up to a rugby game and give my standard netball commentary. Each of those sports needs to be unique.” Sports commentating is a public job, and if you make mistakes people will certainly let you know. “New Zealanders love their rugby,” she says, “and I am no different. Some of the hard core who may have heard me on the radio years ago will know who I am, but others will be wondering ‘who is this woman?’ “I’m super excited to come to the conference and be the MC. A lot of my friends and family are here so I love to come down. I have friends who have businesses here and are doing really well.” Rosalie Liddle Crawford
life+style The Weekend Sun 5
6
March,2015 2019 life+style The Weekend Sun 2129August,
Photo: Daniel Hines
Beks Anderson A decade, one step at a time Rebecca Anderson has walked a decade now, forging her own path as a shoe designer and the owner of Chaos & Harmony. Although in a different industry, essentially she’s also had a sense of following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who was one of the first property developers in the Bay of Plenty. “A very savvy business woman,” says Rebecca, or Beks as her close friends call her. “I always feel like that’s something that’s been passed on to me. “My father’s mother was a great seamstress and really good at making something out of nothing. My mum’s mum also loved design, and loved shoes. She had luxurious taste. “Both my parents are creative through art, business and other projects. I see that coming through in me.” Strongly project-focused, Beks has stepped around closed doors and through many challenges, into new countries and opportunities. As with most businesses there’s the ‘chaos’, and then the ‘harmony’ as things resolve. Studying shoe and accessory design in Italy and sourcing manufacturers in China, she established strong relationships while selling her brand and shoes into a growing and changing market. She and husband Greg found their children’s names, Matthias and Valentina, while in Italy. Aged seven and three, their children arrived during the first decade of their parents’ enterprise. “Greg and I grew up here at the Mount,” says Beks. “We had a great time as teenagers and we want that
Tuscany Dining Table
SAVE $300
NOW $1299
40% OFF
Autumn
SALE More savings in store!
Slipcover sofas range of sizes
From $2599
for our children.” Greg has been working in the business, running the online store and taking care of advertising and IT support. Their three-pronged focus is on wholesale, selling online and retailing through the Mount Maunganui store. Beks, or her operations manager Hayley, are in Southern China every 12 weeks, visiting their manufacturers in Dongguan - a city in the province of Guangdong. “We’re very hands-on with the process,” says Beks. “Hayley talks with our China team daily. We’ve created a great foundation and established where the brand sits, what we expect and what’s acceptable.” A challenge in the earlier days was finding a manufacturer who could make beautiful shoes in the small quantities they required. “We’ve worked with our factory for about eight years. They get our design ethos.” Exporting into the US market is the next big focus. “Recently, we noticed an opportunity with bridal shoes. People were asking for wedding shoes and would purchase our lighter coloured shoes. We came out with a collection and have begun to export it too, which keeps us very busy. “I find I’m rubbing shoulders with friends who are doing great work,” says Beks. “Great business women, great humans, great mums, and I love them for what they bring. So I try and learn as much as I can from them and the wisdom they share.” Beks will be speaking at the Business Women’s Network Conference being held in Tauranga on May 17 and 18. Rosalie Liddle Crawford
29 21 March, 2019 August, 2015
life+style The Weekend Sun 7
Teresa Hodges I found myself having a sneak preview of next season’s Blak collection recently. Blak founder and designer Teresa Hodges will be speaking at the Business Women’s Network Conference in May, and I couldn’t wait to see her collection. The range is exciting, with so much variety. Amongst them are a bangled zigzag zebra stripe print, crops, and a marigold lace dress with a scalloped hem that’s slim-lined with an almost 1920s feel to it. “They’re very classic shapes,” says Blak founder and designer Teresa Hodges. “The marigold dress slims over the body, but it isn’t super-tight. If you wear it to an event, it’s not fussy but you’re going to stand out because of the colour and the lace.” Teresa introduces a new exclusive print each season, working with selected artists. The next collection features an emerald and navy print. There’s a little pin-striped power suit, a shirt with an inverted pleat in the sleeve, a cotton anglaise with a large spot, with linens, cottons and whites looking strong for next summer, giving off an Italian feel. “This time, I really wanted the stencil feeling for the print, and a spot with a more painterly finish,” says Teresa. “I aim to break down the clothing collections to every aspect of our life, so the Basics range is about the weekend and being casual and comfortable. “The Luxe range is a little bit of ‘work’ and a little bit of ‘event’, while the Love range is in between, where you’re going out for a coffee - not dressing up so much, but tidy.”
Some of her top sellers have gone into the new Bridesmaids collection. “Bridesmaids is a massive growth area,” says Teresa. “Business is all about: ‘What’s the next step? How do I grow this? We started with wholesale, then got into retail, do we open another store?’ “With some of our manufacturing in Bali, it’s really amazing what we can offer brides. They can come through and choose the dresses for their girls, then decide on fabrics and colour or any style with all colours matching, or all different colours. We can dye small batches and do custom colours for them.” In the lead up to each new collection, it’s all about the design. “I use a lot of space, and have all the fabric and buttons out,” she says. “It’s all in front of me, and very visual.” She travels to Bali after creating the patterns here, shopping for more fabric, sourcing models, meeting with the photographer and looking for locations. “We usually do two shoots when I’m there - the Instagram shoot, which is used for our campaigns, and the look book shoot.” The last shoot was in a Bali hotel with art deco furniture and models caught in the amber light. Selling online and wholesaling to 22 shops around New Zealand, Blak also runs two retail stores - one in Newmarket and the other a collaboration store at the Mount with Chaos & Harmony. “With focusing on more boutique, we can create more styles,” says Teresa. “I design in three seasons, but we’re dropping every month.” Rosalie Liddle Crawford
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OMOKOROA
Photo: Daniel Hines
Blak Luxe, Love, Basics and Bridesmaids
8
March,2015 2019 life+style The Weekend Sun 2129August,
Photos: John Borren
Lee Murray Double Bram Stoker Award-nominee I shivered as I drove into the Welcome Bay hills. On my way to meet New Zealand’s top horror writer, I wondered whether she lived in a house that was eerie, underworld or gothic. Maybe a dark, derelict 1930s rambling wood batten mansion, with turrets, alcoves and bay windows along with a black cat, some bats and plenty of cobwebs. This was, of course, an oversimplified, unfortunate idea. My concept of ‘horror fiction’ is ill-informed, but how badly off-track is it? Knocking at Lee Murray’s door, I found myself greeted by Bella the Houdini dog, and Colleen Shervell’s abstract paintings, showering colour into a light and airy room. Lee has been nominated and shortlisted in two categories of the Horror Writers Association’s International Bram Stoker Award, for anthology and short fiction.
She is the only New Zealander to reach the finals in two categories, and the only first-time nominee to appear on the shortlists both as a writer and an editor in the same year. She’s a double Bram Stoker Award-nominee. This is the equivalent of being nominated for an Academy Award in film, and she lives right here in Tauranga. Lee is in well-respected company, with authoreditor Marty Young, who was a co-nominee for Macabre: A Journey Through Australia’s Darkest Fears in 2010, and screenwriter Taika Waititi, who was a nominee for What We Do in the Shadows in 2015. Named in honour of the author of the seminal horror novel Dracula, the Bram Stoker Awards are presented annually for superior achievement in writing in 11 categories, including traditional works of various lengths, poetry, screenplays and nonfiction. Previous winners include Stephen King, JK Rowling, George RR Martin, Joyce Carol Oates and Neil Gaiman. She also has ten Sir Julius Vogel awards sitting on a bookcase. As I’ve mentioned, I had odd notions about horror writing. Lee sent me Dead End Town - a short story she’d written. I read it immediately, finding myself drawn in to the monstrous world of a child subjected to the shock of loss of relationships and abuse from adults, with no way out. HP Lovecraft, an American writer of horror, once wrote: “The oldest and strongest emotion of
29 March, 2019
life+style The Weekend Sun 9 Lee Murray
“The essence of horror is to investigate what makes us frightened. How would we deal with it? What would this character do in this situation? How do we manage our internal fears?”
mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” The short story took me to a place where people don’t have a voice, where they become isolated and consumed by the knowledge that they can’t do anything about their situation. I realised that I, myself, had experienced this. Afterwards, I looked up ‘gas-lighting’. “The essence of horror is to investigate what makes us frightened,” says Lee. “How would we deal with it? What would this character do in this situation? How do we manage our internal fears? “If your life is broken, what would you do? Don’t go back into the haunted house, and don’t go back for the cat! “Grimm’s Fairy Tales influenced me. Pinocchio is really scary - using the skins of children for drums. Hansel and Gretel – fattening children to eat them.” Parents discarding their children, and the desperation of children being separated from their parents, is something that resonates in today’s world. “When something horrific happens, we often have no blueprint, we don’t know how to deal with it,” says Lee. “There’s no life experience to fall back on. “Every story has to have a satisfying resolution. You set up a contract with your reader. If there’s a romance, you expect the two lovers will get together. If it’s a mystery, then you want to know who did it. “A cowboy has a shoot-out. A thriller has a race against time. Will you survive?
“With horror, we’re going to test your fears. I’m going to find out what makes you uncomfortable.” Not knowing where the danger is coming from and playing on uncertainty seem to be the essence of writing a good horror story. Lee has delved into darker fiction, and explored deeper feelings and fears - lost tribes, a taniwha, Lake Taupo exploding, prehistoric and primordial tapestries. There’s ideas of community and culture, telling one story from half-a-dozen perspectives in her ensemble novels and allowing for different aspects of nuanced truth. There are many dark overlays of meaning. “With NZ culture we have to tread carefully, because one person’s mythology will be someone else’s faith,” she says. “We have to be sensitive how we approach these stories. “Editing is all about precision and how to get the most out of a sentence. I’m a Marie Kondo type of editor,” she says, smiling over the top of a coffee mug from her writing colleague Dan Rabarts. ‘I’m a writer, what’s your super power?’ is emblazoned on it. Over summer, she read 87 manuscripts, judging them for a national writing competition while curled up in her hanging seat outside. “I’ve applied for funding 36 times and received funding zero times. Writing salaries have not improved in recent years. “It takes me all day to write 1000 words,” she says. “I’m not a natural writer. I’m a hard worker. As Ashton Kutcher says, ‘opportunity looks a lot like hard work’.” Rosalie Liddle Crawford
STAGE 1 VILLA PLANS
NOW RELEASED
WHERE RETIREMENT LIVING
COMES NATURALLY Our stunning Display Home is open to view. Come and view the plans for our villas and terrace houses.
VISIT OUR DISPLAY HOME 242 Grenada Street, Mount Maunganui
ENQUIRIES WELCOME: (07) 262 0191 |
www.pacificlakes.co.nz
10
March,2015 2019 life+style The Weekend Sun 2129August,
Devon Williamson Murdering plays “I was probably 13 when my sister first dragged me into a theatre in Nelson,” says Devon Williamson, as he sits chatting to me on the stage at Detour.
Photos: Bruce Barnard
Smitten by the theatrical world, he’s gone on to learn the craft of acting, directing and writing. As well as children’s shows, he’s written 14 plays, with Murder on the Menu being his most recent. “A young woman is conned into buying a derelict theatre,” he says, explaining the plot, “and she realises the only way she can pay for it is if she turns the theatre into a café. “But the theatre is haunted by some pompous ghosts from Shakespearean plays. To get rid of them, she has to kill them off. “She soon realises they have to die in the same manner as the Shakespearean play they come from.” This was intriguing. The ghosts are the ghosts of the fictitious characters, not the actors, so how does he come up with ideas for a story? “The trick with comedy is to put a normal person into a crazy situation,” says Devon. “Usually somebody is having to overcome something, often something in themselves. Because of the crazy people around them, they end up trying to achieve something in a comic fashion.” After arriving in Tauranga with his wife Kim in 1993, they’ve toured schools and churches, had a family and spent time teaching in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Pacific Islands. Now they are both employed by Detour Theatre Trust to deliver
+
services here. Writing the popular plays that Tauranga audiences love takes up a few months each year. “I have a season for my writing,” he says. “It is usually during the last quarter of the year, during October, November and the first two weeks of December. At the end of the third show, which I direct, Kim directs the fourth show and I start writing. “The goal is to have a read-through with the cast who are going to be in the show a week before Christmas.” No pressure then. “It’s a tricky thing,” he explains, “because you do need to have enough time to write a play, but you do have a deadline. The trick is to work out what’s reasonable and then write.” It sounds intense, but then with writing, we usually take as much time as we have available. He likes sitting amongst the audience, observing their responses and comments. In some ways, the play is hiding itself from him until that moment. “A play needs an audience. Sometimes you get feedback, but the more personally people are affected by something the less feedback you get. “Sometimes they say they haven’t laughed so hard for so long. They enjoy coming to the theatre and seeing something completely madcap - a nutty comedy that has a really warm ending. It is therapy. They’ve been able to come in and let go of everything else for two hours. “You don’t really know what your play is until you see it in front of an audience.
enjoy the difference Conditions apply.
View the catalogue at www.gerrand.co.nz now
29 21March, August,2019 2015
life+style The Weekend Sun ˛˛
“You don’t really know what your play is until you see it in front of an audience.”
“You can write it thinking that it’s a particular thing. You rehearse it and, on opening night, sit there with them watching it. But then you realise, because you are sharing the experience with the audience, that although the grand theme of the play was ‘this’, it’s actually ‘that’. “What you think is a nice little moment becomes a moment with a lot of gravity when the audience are viewing it, and you’ve underestimated it.” Devon says his favourite play is always the one he’s doing right now, because it’s fresh, new and exciting. “By the end of the show though, you’ve milked it for six months, with writing, casting and producing it. “This year we’re doing a new show and one we produced a few years ago. It was fascinating reading through some of my earlier plays – they were full of surprises, because of having produced them and then not looked at them for ten years.” His plays are marketed through an agent and staged in theatres around the English-speaking world in countries such as Canada, the UK, Australia and America. They’re also performed in theatres around New Zealand. “I love the fact that we will produce the first show here in this tiny place and then it will go to some outfit in the US,” says Devon. “It will be another community theatre but they’ll have a lot of resources. It’s always great to see the show and what other people do with it. “You write a play and then you give it to that producing theatre, but how they interpret what the character is like and who they cast is up to them.
Devon Williamson
“When we go to other towns, it always reminds us that there’s such a depth of talent here in Tauranga, which is why there is so much theatre going on. “Having a good cast helps. There are so many good actors here.” For now it’s a play about murder. “Titles are important,” he says. “I agonise over titles. At some point someone’s going to have to try and sell tickets to this thing, so give them a favour. Murder in the Menu is telling you something is going on, and that’s important.” Rosalie Liddle Crawford
TS N E NTS S E E S R E P PR
BARREL ROOM ROOM JAZZ & BLUES BARREL JAZZ & BLUES
SATURDAY 20 APRIL SATURDAY 20 APRIL
Wellington’s “HighWellington’s Society” - a“High Jazz, Soul, Blues RetroSoul, PopBlues act like no other! Society” - a&Jazz, & Retro Pop act like no other! This show will sellThis out!show will sell out!
Tickets: eventfinda.co.nz Tickets: eventfinda.co.nz | R18 | No door sales $95 per person person | R18 | No door sales $95 per
DINNER & SHOW DINNER & SHOW
6.30pm6.30pm
°˜
life+style The Weekend Sun ˜° August, ˜˛°˝