Suzanne Williams

Like many of us of mature years, I acted in theatre with a little talent (though much stage fright) in my young days, having parents who were heavily involved in amateur dramatics in Wellsford.

We entertained and billeted the actors of The Community Arts Service tours back in the 50s, which was a rural lifeline of the arts for country dwellers, making a tremendous impression on my young mind.

Seventy years later, I can still remember their terrifying and tragic production of Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones, which kept me awake for nights.

Although I have not been to a theatre production for some years as I can’t go out alone at night, I have just been invited to a performance for the second time in two months.

We went to Matilda, a local production. I had mixed feelings about the show. I am also quite surprised that I do not recollect seeing any other comments from audiences about it in the Beacon.

First, plaudits: Outstanding were some adults, which was to be expected.

Of course, Pete Tihema for his portrayal of Miss Trunchbull is a standout, as is a memorable Miss Honey by Jess Walker, whose lovely voice made her a pleasure to listen to, and she carried her part well.

Leny Woolsey is an actress of astonishing ability for an amateur production, as was Nate Smythe; he is well worth watching as a young actor.

As for anyone else, I could not pick an outstanding talent from among the children, but they acquitted themselves with great enthusiasm.

If it was a pity that I couldn’t hear well, I had to put it down partly to the fact that speech/elocution is no longer taught in schools; neither, apparently, is voice projection for theatre productions. But I enjoyed the show.

However, I find that I was not able to enjoy the audience, and they thoroughly spoiled it for me.

Is it my old-fashioned way of thinking? Why must the two tall people in front of me dance up and down and side to side?

Why must most of the audience scream and yell to have a good time?

Are they all my age and unable to escape the hysterical influence of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones?

Have they not grown up? Are there no manners or thought for others anymore, or is it just Whakatāne?

I did not have this problem when I watched the film of Matilda on TVNZ +. It was made in 1996 by Danny De Vito, and the story was quite different from the musical; the originators of the musical must have changed Roald Dahl’s book considerably. Well worth watching.

I will now take you to the first of my recent visits to a theatre production at night. I went to the Seventh Day Adventist School presentation of The Rat’s Return, held in the Little Theatre a few weeks ago.

It was a show set around the parable of The Prodigal Son, but the characters were all rats, and there was a prodigal daughter.

The cast was small (51 pupils in the school, every one taking part) and the show was produced, I believe, from whoa to go within three weeks.

An astonishing achievement during a school term, or at any time.

The company doing this, Gobsmacked, is headed by a talented and amazing young woman named Patrice, and they tour around New Zealand schools producing these shows because they believe in all children having the opportunity to make the most of their potential in the performing arts; they have now completed their 20th production.

This was an astonishing show; very well executed, much enjoyed (apart from the audience, again), and deserving of a wider audience; but at this stage I wish mainly to mention a little girl who took the lead role and is an amazing undiscovered talent.

At barely eight years old, she shouldered this part, in which she was hardly off the stage, remembered all her lines, with song and dance, and threw herself so totally into her part that you couldn’t help being taken along with her.

Her name is Bella King. I was surprised to find that she had not been given a part as one of the Matilda’s in that show – although Matilda is a wishy-washy part unworthy of her talents. In fact, in her I was reminded of Shirley Temple (remember her?).

I hope someone soon recognises what a child prodigy Bella is.