The Cape presented a few challenges for English-born director Bronwyn Wallace, writes Rebecca Fox.
Directing a play with plenty of 1990s ''Kiwi'' references has been a bit of a challenge for English-born Bronwyn Wallace.
Ms Wallace, who grew up in England, is directing The Cape, by Vivienne Plumb, a production by theatre company Counterpoint.
''It's a very New Zealand piece and I'm from England so there were a lot of references I didn't get, Kiwiana '90s things that made the rest of the guys quite nostalgic.''
The Cape follows a group of four men as they go on a road trip from Wellington to Cape Reinga. They are in a transition phase in their lives and want to relive the ''old days'' by going on this road trip.
''They want to go as far away from Wellington as they can. It's very funny, moving at times.''
It is Ms Wallace's directing debut and it came with a few challenges, she said.
''As a company it is quite hard to put on a work that has already been around a while, as it is already in people's minds. We want to try and make it different and memorable in our own way.''
She chose the script because it was ''very honest'' and was a good expression of peoples' thinking, which was lost in many plays written by older people.
''This is quite real. Vivienne Plumb did a lot of research watching '90s films and interviews. She worked really hard to get that speech thing right.''
Ms Wallace is Counterpoint's creative director and is proud of where the company is going.
The company was established in 2012 by two University of Otago theatre studies graduates who saw a gap in Dunedin for graduates looking to find paid professional work or train further for a professional career in the city.
''Everyone studied here then [would] leave and go to Wellington.''
Ms Wallace took over the reins this year after completing an honours degree in theatre studies.
She wanted to be a creative director and decided Counterpoint offered a way to learn those skills and find out what it would really be like.
''It's scary. This is the first full show I've ever directed and it's a real challenge, really fun.''
The company uses a mix of students and graduates in its productions, depending who is available. In The Cape, one actor is a postgraduate student, Ben McCarthy, while the other three are students Will McGrath (law student), Nick Tipa and David Stock.
''There aren't that many postgraduates in Dunedin. It can be confusing but we do hold ourselves to high standards.
''People are starting to refer to us as a professional theatre company, which is good.''
There were six people on the creative team who were all very talented in different ways, she said.
''As a team, we can totally do this.''
They hold their open auditions at the beginning of each year, having planned out their year, the productions, venues and dates, launching their programme in March.
The process has opened Ms Wallace's eyes to the amount of work that goes into a professional theatre company's programmes.
''I have a lot more respect for that now.''
The company was really well-supported by the theatre community in Dunedin, she said.
''We do fill a little niche. It's all worthwhile.''
While the company has traditionally turned over its ''staff'' each year, this time some will stay on for a second year to help solidify its financial position.
''I would like to train someone up so there is a good handover.''
