Selfish Giant perfect antidote

The Giant (played by Greg Inwood, of Wanaka) is surrounded by pupils from the Wakatipu Basin during Good Value Productions Trust's performance of Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant at Thurlby Domain in 2007. The trust will be performing the play again at the same venue from noon tomorrow. Photo by Tracey Roxburgh.

On Saturday, Hutchison will put on Oscar Wilde's classic children's story The Selfish Giant.

As well as the Giant, who is truly gigantic, the cast is made up of tall and bouncy stilt-walking Frost, Wind, Snow and Hail, plus 25 local children.

However, it's Thurlby Domain which proves to be the greatest star - its ruins providing the perfect backdrop for the Giant to create his nasty walls, which stop the children enjoying the beauty of his garden.

With its message about the importance of kindness, learning to share and learning from children, Wilde's story is the perfect antidote to the commercialisation of Christmas.

This is no amateur production - Hutchison was part of Auckland's famous Watershed Theatre and her company, Good Value Productions, has staged some of the Wakatipu's most popular shows, including Hair.

•The Selfish Giant begins at noon tomorrow at Thurlby Domain, on Speargrass Rd. Entry is by donation, with proceeds going to Special Olympics Wakatipu.