Remarkable Theatre opens its 2025 season of Take a Chance On Me, written by celebrated Kiwi playwright Roger Hall, at Arrowtown’s Athenaeum Hall next Thursday — and assistant director Melanie Grindell believes it’ll hit the mark with most of the audience.
The play follows singles Fleur (Natalia Brown) a primary school teacher, homemaker Lorraine (Victoria Mills), lawyer Eleanor (Vanessa Williams), pharmacist Tim (Lindsey Muir), plumber Brian (George Williams) and banker Dan (Peter Waaka), who’s just been made redundant.
Together they form a group of hopeful romantics navigating love, life and second chances.
Grindell says Waaka’s known to many audiences, but this is his Remarkable Theatre debut, while George is on stage with the group for the first time, having previously performed in its Queenstown Gardens show.
The singles are helped by "facilitators" Eric (Marty Newell) and Liz (Janey Bytheway), who each have multiple different parts — in Newell’s case, another nine.
Grindell says that’s one of the reasons the play’s "fast-paced".
"Marty will go off stage as one person and then come on as a totally different character."
This show’s being directed by T.Ryan Brennan, who was born in the United States and has over a decade’s experience in Hollywood as an assistant director for multi-camera sitcoms.
Having called Queenstown home for several years, he’s previously directed in Cromwell and played starring roles in a few shows in the district.
"He’s a very collaborative, enthusiastic director, very artistic and has got lots of ideas, which is great," Grindell says.
Take a Chance On Me runs from next Thursday till September 20 — for ticket info, see Humanitix
