Truth, and our relationship to it, is an enduring fascination for all of us in one way or another. In Ancient Greece the Oracle at Delphi famously told the faithful to "know thyself". Growing up on a farm in an Irish-Catholic family in the Bay of Plenty, Pauline Grogan’s father told her, "to thine own self be true". And years later, the inspirational and severely disabled James Lynch told Grogan to simply "tell the truth".

As she recounts aspects of her extraordinary life in 500 Letters, Pauline Grogan’s performance is a rich testimony to telling the truth to both oneself and others. Truth, and the revealing and retelling of it, is central to this beautiful wee solo play.

High production values surround and hold Grogan as she recounts her courageous journey from childhood through to being a nun, institutional abuse by a Priest, marriage, motherhood with 4 children under 4, and a raft of unexpected meetings, tragedies and challenges along the way including her only daughter’s stroke at the age of 10.

It’s intimate, yet inventive theatre as the events unfold before our eyes and ears. We could be in her living room. This warm and courageous woman has a rich tapestry of life to draw from, and her guts to reveal the truth resonates whole heartedly throughout the performing and retelling of it.

We like her just for telling the truth so openly, and in doing so, the fundamental questions are gently thrown up: What do we believe in? Who, what, or where is God? What constitutes goodness? What is most essential in life? What matters most in life? What will I feel most proud of in my lifetime? What can I change for better in the world? How do I really connect with another? It takes a special kind of person to point their audience in that direction.

500 Letters is one woman’s story, but it is clearly the work of a dedicated team of skilled professionals. Director Margaret-Mary Hollins is to be congratulated for her work on adapting the books to stage (along with Dramaturg Lynne Cardy), and her light touch to the flavour and tone of this piece. The show never loses itself in pity or over endowed sympathy, and it’s the stronger for it.

Simon Coleman’s lighting and set allows for simplicity and intimacy. And of course the fantastic sound scape composed by Drew McMillan is very moving when allied with Kate Parker’s very beautiful Shadow Puppetry and Peter Simpson’s Film Graphics. Another world altogether is created on the picture book screens upstage of Pauline Grogan because of the tender touch of this production team. This suggests a deep respect for Grogan too.

Grogan’s relationship with James Lynch, who spent 44 years as a patient in Tauranga Hospital, is worthy of a play in itself. The seemingly random meeting of two very different people – one severely disabled, one with too much energy; one with not enough time, one with too much time – and their enduring friendship and true platonic love for each other is wonderful. Lynch becomes Grogan’s own Oracle at Tauranga as he urges her to "tell the truth". It’s a lovely moment, a challenge to defy adversity, and it lies at the centre of this piece.

As an aside I would have loved an image or photo of James Lynch in the show in order to de-fictionalise his character, and also to underline the inherent point of view that appearance can bely one’s true inner beauty.

Pauline Grogan is also a speaker and educator (see www.paulinegrogan.co.nz) and she herself admits that acting has come late in her life. Yet, notwithstanding a few vocal issues due to a cold, she is a born performer, and as she warms up into the show you soon realise that music, story, and courage are natural parts of her being. As she trusts her own truth, and that of the audience, a very unique person opens up and a lovely performance emerges.

This is the portrait of a brave woman with a big heart who has chosen to challenge convention and tell the truth. And full marks to her for doing so. The truth, as someone else once said, can set you free.

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The set is spare and simple – a grand piano, a rug and a chair – and Pauline Grogan enters quietly to, as she puts it, do some piano practice as the audience settles in their seats.

From this low-key beginning we are gradually caught up in her life, from her childhood as one of a large Catholic family on the farm where she sought peace and solitude in the hills she loved, to the day when tragedy struck her own family, her ten-year-old daughter having suffered a stroke at school.

It was whilst visiting her daughter in hospital that she met James Lynch, New Zealand’s longest hospital-stay patient. Seriously brain-damaged and with little capacity for speech, he was nevertheless to become her close friend and mentor and a major influence in her future.

We cannot meet James, of course, but his life is depicted throughout the performance by the extraordinarily inventive projection of Kate Parker’s shadow puppets onto the backdrop. They have an almost childlike charm and innocence which is further enhanced by the choice of classical music, much of it played by Grogan herself. Delightful as these interludes are, some of them could have been pruned a little so as not to interrupt the narrative flow.

It is not until half way through the evening that Grogan fills in the years between leaving her childhood home and her marriage and reveals that she was a nun for twelve years, renouncing her vocation after sustained abuse by a priest. This is the secret she carries until James gives her the quiet space she craves in her busy life and the listening ear she so desperately needs.

He urges her to “tell the truth” and she subsequently writes her autobiography, Beyond the Veil.

Pauline Grogan is an accomplished woman and a determined and courageous survivor, whose story has been presented with a simplicity and lack of melodrama, which, coupled with beautiful music and clever visual effects make this a memorable performance.

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Enjoying a return season and national tour after premiering in Auckland in October 2005, there is no denying the content of 500 Letters is engaging. But the magic of the play comes from the fact that its writer, the remarkable Pauline Grogan, performs it. Incredibly, Grogan also celebrated her debut as a professional actor this time last year.

While some opening night nerves caused her to rush at the top of the show, the unique quality of 500 Letters comes from Grogan’s infectious warmth and heart, as she shares her life story, and recounts her special friendship with New Zealand’s longest hospital-stay patient, James Lynch.

With the assistance of a top creative team, her story is delightful to hear and watch. A versatile performer, Grogan plays the piano as we walk in and throughout her performance. As a music teacher, melody has been a huge part of her life and her salvation, so it is fitting that Andrew McMillan’s beautiful, well chosen classical music underlays and overall sound design evoke just the right mood and emotion, throughout the night.

Simon Coleman chooses key moments in Grogan’s story-telling to stamp his lighting design to maximum effect, but it is his audio visual design – with co-collaborator Peter Simpson – depicting James’ life that is truly inventive and magnificent. With shadow, sticks and the skill of puppeteer Kate Parker, they lift James’ inspirational influence over not only Grogan’s life, but also hundreds of others, to a tangible level.

Director Margaret-Mary Hollins has gracefully brought these creative elements together, so they complement and enhance Grogan’s charming performance and narrative. Showering Grogan with endless letters from heaven was a stunning image to end on.

While Grogan’s experiences alone, (staunch catholic upbringing, becoming a nun, abuse from a respected Priest, her daughter’s devastating stroke at a young age), give much food for thought, the enduring message of 500 Letters is, quite simply, how much we undervalue the power of listening and being listened to. James’ patient ears gave Grogan the opportunity to vent and purge, till from this torrent, she found the courage and strength to face her demons.

Her empowerment is apparent just by visiting her website, where Pauline Grogan Enterprises Limited Online can offer services from Inspirational Motivational Speaker, to Funeral Celebrant. To see how this woman’s journey on the road to success came about, I would highly recommend giving 500 Letters a listening ear – and a good look.

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