Children's Theatre with The Fiordland Players, Te Anau.

Pauline Butler Nicholson describes the challenges of keeping community theatre alive in a small village near the end of New Zealand’s South Island.

The Fiordland Players struggle to keep theatre alive every year. With a population around 3000, we can’t produce over summer, as the locals are too busy with tourism and many take off for sunny climates. We aim to put on a show in the middle of winter and in October, but this year we cancelled our first winter production because not enough men turned up at auditions.
Out of the dust along came the idea of Children's Theatre. Many youngsters here miss out on performing and I wondered how I could get them (and my son) involved. It didn't seem possible with the cost of royalties, so I got writing - a one-act play inspired by the shipwreck of a small fishing boat in 1961 - two men stuck out in the remote wilderness without any supplies, until finally being rescued a week later.
I recruited another mother to direct and we got the children involved in writing a second one-act play. Their play was simple. A pathway of different colours and the emotions those colours bring. A group of 5 to 10 year olds wrote their story in one session.
Rehearsing once a week for 6 weeks, the plan was to perform in the lounge for invited family and friends, with a small built up stage and a couple of lights. It very quickly took on the guise of a larger scale production, as the stage at the Fiordland Events Centre was needed for the number of children involved.
We had a simple set. Both plays had bracken, Beech tree branches and driftwood decorating the area. In Shipwrecked, The Rosie was a boat hull and wheel-house created out of cardboard. All painted up it looked wonderful on the stage!
When our director told two local papers what we were up to, both published a photograph and article a week beforehand, boosting the audience to around 100.
A slight technical hitch, as the pianist and curtain opener waited for each other's cue, meant the amazing dry ice floating over the stage was missed, but you have to laugh and carry on. Our wonderful audience didn't know. With a big gulp we pulled those curtain strings and the music began.
Adrenaline surged in the wings as we assisted the young ones with their entrances. The audience joined in song with minimal prompting from the kids, cheering with enthusiasm at the end as kids took their bows.
The serious moment of killing a native bird for survival was delightfully funny as a handful of feathers flew in the air and two precooked chicken drumsticks were bitten into!
I was very happy at the overall success. This whole show had been a learning experience for many involved. Straight away many parents and children were asking when the next show would be. I believe that would have to be the measure of a successful venture. Children's Theatre will definitely return!