Glorious Ruins presents Roger Hall’s End of Summertime
Friday, May 8 — Te Whare o Rukutia
Review by Brenda Harwood
The challenges of shifting to Auckland to be nearer to family are explored with wit and gentle, relatable humour in Roger Hall’s new one-man play End of Summertime.
In a production staged by local theatre company Glorious Ruins and directed by Karen Elliot, veteran Dunedin actor Peter Hayden uses all of his considerable skill and charm to hold the audience in the palm of his hand.
End of Summertime returns to much-loved curmudgeonly Hall character Dickie Hart — a retired farmer and rugby fanatic, dragged reluctantly to Auckland in 2019 by his wife Glenda to be closer to the grandchildren.
And worse yet, the couple move from a large house into a “sea view” apartment — no outdoors and no garden for Dickie.
So, while Glenda is busy, attending exercise classes, socialising with friends and taking part in book club, Dickie must try to find his feet. And try he does, exploring nearby Takapuna Beach, making a friend of his own, and joining the apartment complex body corp.
And then, the collective nightmare of the Covid-19 pandemic hits and everything changes for Dickie.
Among the large opening night audience, there was plenty of laugher and also murmurs of recognition for Dickie’s predicament, but also the reminders of how life changed during the pandemic — masks, social distancing, lockdowns and all.
Wearing the persona of Dickie like a comfortable old jumper, Hayden gives a strong, nuanced performance, bringing all the humour and the emotion of his challenging journey to the fore.
It was delightful to see the work of much-loved Dunedin set designer Peter King in the creation of the set — cleverly depicting the apartment sitting room, blending new features with comfortable old chairs.
Lighting and sound design by Stephen Kilroy helps to enhance the on-stage action.
All in all, Hall’s End of Summertime is both warmly amusing, emotionally affecting, and eminently relatable in its exploration of a common dilemma for many kiwi families.
The play continues until May 14.
