An interview with our Literary Manager, Philippa Campbell
26 May 2010
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to start introducing you to some of the people that work for Auckland Theatre Company.
What are you working on at the moment?
Selecting the plays for the final two workshops for 2010 and casting for the next two workshops (SUNDAY ROAST by Thomas Sainsbury and PASEFIKA by Stuart Hoar). Colin’s (McColl, ATC’s Artistic Director, who we will hear from next on this blog!) first cut at the 2011/12 programme will be made in July, so there are on-going discussions about that too. July is also when we will select plays for October’s festival of new work, The Next Stage, so I’m tracking down playwrights whose work we’re excited about and gently reminding them of the deadline. The reminders will get a little less gentle as time goes on.
How is the commissioned work coming along?
We’ve forged a great relationship with the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival this year, and presented a reading of the first draft of Dave Armstrong’s new play VISITING HOURS at the Festival, directed by Colin with Catherine Wilkin and Keisha Castle Hughes. So the Literary Unit went on tour to the Aotea Centre, which was very exciting, and extremely gratifying playing to several hundred people. The response was positive – people were engaged and entertained by the piece and we’re interested in the layers of complexity Dave will bring to his next draft as a result of the experience.
Arthur Meek’s new play OUR MAORIS, based on Lady Martin’s memoir of her time in 19th century New Zealand as the wife of the first British Chief Justice is still at a quite early conceptual stage but progressing in all manner of provocative and interesting directions. It’s a rich period of our history to be recreating and exploring. Arthur was last mentioned on this blog when he wrote a great piece about Oscar Wilde here for us. He was last seen onstage at the Comedy Fest as part of the Lonesome Buckwhips.
Vela Manusaute is in the throes of a new draft of his translation of Dario Fo’s WE CAN’T PAY WE WON’T PAY, which we’re hoping will be part of The Next Stage festival this year. After the recent workshop of his first draft it was interesting to acknowledge that the play was yet to be culturally rooted in its new home, South Auckland. This is the thrust of his new draft. It was fascinating too to spend some time in the workshop exploring the links between traditional Samoan clowning and Fo’s Commedia tradition.
There’s another large scale piece we’re in very early discussions about which will be an adaptation of a New Zealand novel. More on that when it’s a bit further advanced.
Read the full blog entry here
