In the news recently for all the wrong reasons, the Manawatu River takes centre stage in this new play by Massey University’s Dr Angie Farrow.  Inspired by prominent Massey freshwater ecologist Dr Mike Joy, The River is an intense, at times poetic, multi-layered experience that entwines human drama, fact, legend, history, dreams, spirits, astrophysics and the alternate quasi-spiritual philosophies of Masaru Emoto (The True Power of Water). 

In one of the lead characters – astrophysicist Mona Hinemoa – and with the appearance of river ghosts or sirens, the play reworks some of the elements and themes of Dr Farrow’s Before The Birds, produced at the same venue in 2009.  

Fronting a breakthrough TV programme about the universe, Mona – played by Peri Chapelle – has become the Nigella Lawson of the cosmos, and is on the verge of major (ahem) stardom. Danny, her producer, is hustling her off to Melbourne to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But the price of making space sexy and being a ‘hot commodity’ celebrity, is that her partner Liam (David Collins) and 13-year-old daughter Sophie are left behind on a small holding at Hopelands, a locality just east of Woodville in Tararua on the banks of the Manawatu River. 

Chapelle pitches her character superbly between the persona of pop astrophysics priestess, accomplished academic and concerned mother. Some trauma has rendered Sophie, sensitively portrayed by Catriona Tipene, mute, and seemingly at the mercy of sirens and the spirits of those the Manawatu has claimed. The girl also has a river fixation, and falls ill after swimming in it, even though she has been warned not to because of the pollution level. 

As abandoned husband, inadequate farmer, solo father and home-school educator, Collins maintains the right amount of confusion, frustration and lack of self-confidence. His isolation is eased by Ashleigh Hook’s likeable Bernice – a neighbour who would rather be a dancer than a farmer – and Adam Brown’s Simyon, a mercurial young South African GP who becomes the mouthpiece for Emoto’s philosophies.  

There is even an encounter with the spirit of the river herself: a dramatic presence, despite some interesting and slightly distracting patois, courtesy of Maree Gibson. 

The narrative has had the benefit of Victoria University of Wellington’s John Downie as dramaturge, helping keep track of the multi-story scenario which continuously darts from actuality to dream, to the paranormal and back. Even so, there are still moments where things don’t quite ring true: if Mona is such hot property, surely she could tell the TV wallahs they can wait! 

Overall though, the play has an epic feel.  Its success is partly due to the balanced way all sides to the river debate are cleverly incorporated. While totally different in form and style, the arguments are presented in a way that is not unlike the approach taken in SEEyD’s play, Turbine.

Despite protestations from the playwright to the contrary, The River is a political play. It’s not in the traditional left versus right polemic, but in a more organic sense – that something is out of joint; something that will take community consensus, commitment and collaboration to rectify.

An arresting commentary on the dilemmas facing modern society, The River has application wherever the natural resource/economic commodity debate is raised. As a character in the effective set-piece community meeting scene proclaims: “It’s not replaceable. You can’t just go to the supermarket and buy a new one!” 

To present the story on an open set, bulwarked on either side by Ian Hammond’s sculptural assemblage of forklift pallets, the production makes extensive use of back-projected visual effects on a bare rear wall – including Skype conversations between Liam and Mona, lighting, and dance – all underscored by the wordless vocals of an off-stage unaccompanied choir. 

And like a river, the production, with its many tributaries coming together, flows. This is a tribute to the direction (Jaime Dorner), the performing ensemble and the production team who, even when it threatens to overflow its banks, keep an elaborate, multi-faceted full-length play under control and running true.

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