LOVEPUKE
Repertory House, 167 Esk Street, Invercargill
03/05/2017 - 06/05/2017
Southland Festival of the Arts 2017
Production Details
Sex. Argument. Argument. Make Up. Sex. Argument. Argument. Love.
It isn’t pretty, it isn’t easy and it isn’t always fun. And it’s all laid bare in the classic New Zealand play Lovepuke, at Repertory House, Invercargill, from May 3-6.
Written by Duncan Sarkies, author of Two Little Boys, and directed by Victoria Mills, Lovepuke is a quick witted, high energy play about intimate relationships – how they come to be, how they evolve and how they fall apart.
“I first came across Lovepuke in 1998 when I was cast as Hermione in a production directed by the really rather talented and creative Bryan Aitken,” Mills says.
“What really captivated me about Duncan’s piece was its energy, intriguing use of language and the mixture of different theatrical styles that often get used in the same scene.”
A local, young and energetic cast has embraced the challenge, she says.
“The cast has been so awesome. It’s a play that forces the performer to focus their performance in a way that not many other plays do. Because the play is quite short they have to work efficiently to create and convey their character.”
Written in 1993, Lovepuke is still extraordinarily relevant over 20 years later.
Some of the technology may have changed, but the chaos that is an evolving relationship never will, Mills says. The audience watches, empathises and laughs as eight characters bounce their way through burgeoning affairs.
“We’ve made a couple of discreet changes to bring Lovepuke into the 21st century but, in reality, the essence of the story is always going to be true; people are always going to have relationships with other people. Some of them will end badly, some of them won’t.”
One thing is certain; the audience is in for a wild, no-holds-barred ride.
“Rather than a long, languid symphony with its distinct phrases and themes, beginning middle and ending, Lovepuke is a punk race horse; quick out of the blocks and best you hold on.”
LOVEPUKE
Presented by Repertory Invercargill as part of the Southland Festival of the Arts
Repertory House, Corner Jed and Esk St
3-6 May 2017
7.30pm
Tickets available from TicketDirect
Adults $20, Concession $15.
Adult themes and strong language.
CAST
GWEN ….. MAGGIE WATTS
HERMIONE ….. HANNAH KENNEDY
IVAN ….. MORGAN PENROSE
JANICE ….. SOPHIE WORNER
KEVIN ….. FRASER ROBINSON
LOUISE ….. BROGAN CAMPBELL
MARISSA ….. PHILLIE HOLMES
NATHAN ….. RICKY ANDREWS
DIRECTOR: VICTORIA MILLS
STAGE MANAGER: VICTORIA MILLS
LIGHTING: JOHN WATSON, NEALE SMITH
SOUND: PATRICK HORN
PROPERTIES: KEVIN MARSHALL
FRONT OF HOUSE COORDINATOR: BUFFY EDLIN
Assisted by Repertory Committee and friends
TICKETING: JAMES HORN
DESIGN: JADE GILLIES
PUBLICITY: McCarthy Media and Communications, Gillies Creative
PRODUCTION SECRETARY: SARAH McCARTHY
Theatre ,
Exciting and pacy
Review by Shelley Inon 06th May 2017
While the title may sound strangely off-putting to some, I urge you to watch this play.
With a talented cast who hold their characters throughout – including blackouts – this is a very gripping show. Well-articulated voices, conveying conviction, make this easy to follow (perhaps easier than most movies I’ve watched lately). The actors* bring the show to life with a professional ease – and somehow manage to convince a tittering audience that they are witnessing some pretty kinky sex scenes, all while the actor remains fully clothed and seated: the mind boggles!
Keeping an audience on their toes, when your cast remains seated through a large portion of the play, takes a skilled director and production team. The script in itself, by Duncan Sarkies, is a gem but with Victoria Mills’ hands on the reins, and her eye for believable actors, it was destined for success.
The production team does an amazing job sourcing effective and eye-catching props (Design, Jade Gilles; Properties, Kevin Marshall). Walking into an empty theatre to find a defiant actress perched on a toilet isn’t a sight I see often.
The script will surprise you. Written in 1993, some minor adjustments have been made for this story to still be relevant in today’s world. Interestingly, even smartphone and Tinder jokes hit their mark… regardless of the fact that most of us have possibly never used that dating app.
This is an exciting and pacy watch. With Netflix in a huge number of Invercargill households this winter, this adaptation of Lovepuke is a timely reminder of why theatre is still worth the trek out on a bitterly cold autumn night. The only thing this production doesn’t have is a pause button.
*Phillie Holmes, Ricky Andrews, Brogan Campbell, Fraser Robinson, Sophie Worner, Morgan Penrose, Hannah Kennedy, Maggie Watts.
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