Hic Sunt Dracones presents Nicola Cheeseman is Back! by Kathryn Burnett
Thursday, July 25 — Te Whare o Rukutia
Review by Brenda Harwood
A large opening night audience laughed, nodded in recognition, and groaned in sympathy at the antics and daily challenges faced by a feisty middle-aged woman in Nicola Cheeseman is Back!
Presented by local theatre company Hic Sunt Dracones (HSD) for its South Island premiere season, Kathryn Burnett’s riotous comedy about the squeezed generation is thoroughly entertaining and has real emotional depth.
Directed by Kim Morgan, sole performer Harriet Moir embodies the every-woman character of Nicola Cheeseman with verve and sensitivity.
Battling middle-age, a failed marriage, caring for the older generation, children and a job that lacks satisfaction, Nicola yearns to get back to a younger version of herself — a wild punk goddess and lead singer of The Cherry Slits.
Speaking directly to the audience, while also creating a variety of characters, Moir gives an outstandingly committed performance, including changing costumes on stage without missing a beat.
Moir also manages the emotional roller-coaster of Nicola’s day-to-day life with aplomb, from her hilarious musings on the punk life, to the naughty antics of her father, to the sadness of watching elderly parents fade.
It all adds to the fun, especially when the costumes include a bright red PVC jumpsuit — just perfect for Nicola’s punk dreams.
Performing alongside Moir, at stage-left, is local musician Shannon Burnett, providing sound effects, drums and guitar, and rocking out superbly at the play’s epic finale.
The top-notch work of the show’s designers Matthew Morgan and Garry Keirle, in set and lighting, is also in evidence in the very effective reconfiguration of the Te Whare o Rukutia space for the production.
Also adding to the ambience is a series of cleverly designed, authentic-looking Cherry Slits gig posters, reminiscent of the much-loved Dunedin band posters of the 1980s and 1990s.
The efforts of the multi-talented Matthew Morgan are also showcased brilliantly in the play’s live soundtrack and especially the big finish — an epic original punk song, written by Morgan and performed with raucous energy by Moir and Burnett.
All in all, Nicola Cheeseman is Back! is an enjoyable, life-affirming romp through the trials and tribulations of a woman who represents us all.
The HSD production of Nicola Cheeseman is Back! tonight and Saturday night, at 7.30pm, and from next Wednesday-Saturday, July 1-4, at Te Whare o Rukutia, 20 Princes St.
- brenda.harwood@thestar.co.nz
