EDUCATION PACK

32

Auckland Theatre Company

receives principal and core

funding from

Subsidised school matinees

are made possible by

a grant from

ATC Education also thanks

the ATC Patrons and the

ATC Supporting Acts for

their ongoing generosity.

Sponsors

PLEASE NOTE:

• Schools’performancesarefollowed

byaQ&AForumlastingfor20–30

minutesinthetheatreimmediatelyafter

theperformance.

• Eatinganddrinkingintheauditorium

isstrictlyprohibited.

• Pleasemakesureallcellphonesare

turnedoffpriortotheperformanceand,

ifpossible,pleasedon’tbringschool

bagstothetheatre.

• Photographyorrecordingofanykind

isSTRICTLYPROHIBITED.

CREDITS 4

WHAT'S THE STORY? — the synopsis 6

WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? — key ideas 7

WHO'S WHO ON THE HILL? — the characters 8

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? — the history behind the battle 12

WHO WENT TO WAR? — facts about the NZ expeditionary Forces 14

WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE? — Ian Mune addresses the troops 18

WHAT'S THE STORY'S STORY? — the history of the play 22

WHO WAS THE WRITER? — playwright Maurice Shadbolt 24

WHAT SETS THE SCENE? — design of ONCE ON CHUNUK BAIR 26

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE? — recommended resources 30

Contents

VENUE: MAIDMENTTHEATRE,ALFREDSTREET, AUCKLANDCITY

SCHOOLS’ PERFORMANCES: Thursday19June,Thursday26June, Tuesday1JulyandThursday3Julyat11am.

RUNNING TIME: 2hoursincludinga20minuteinterval.

SUITABILITY: Thisproductionisespeciallysuitablefor YearLevels11–13students.

ADVISORY: Containsoccasionaluseofstronglanguage.

4 5

education pack creditsction

Writer — Amber McWilliams

Contributing Writer — Fern Christie-Birchall

Editor — Lynne Cardy

Production Images — Michael Smith

Design images courtesy of — John Verryt

Design — Saucy Hot Design

CASTColonel Connolly — Stephen Lovatt

Lieutenant Harkness — Sam Snedden

Sergeant Frank — Kevin Keys

Porky — Andrew Grainger

Scruffy — Tim Carlsen

Holy — Jordan Mooney

Smiler — Wesley Dowdell

Mac — Johnny Bright

Bassett / Soldier 1 — Byron Coll

Otaki George — Taungaroa Emile

Fred / Soldier 2 — Oscar Wilson

Nobby / Dusty — Alex Walker

CREATIVEDirection — Ian Mune and Cameron Rhodes

Set Design — John Verryt

Costume Design — Tracey Collins

Lighting Design — Sean Lynch

Sound Design — Jason Smith

PRODUCTIONTechnical & Production Manager — Paul Nicoll

Company Manager — Fern Christie-Birchall

Stage Manager — Jade Turrall

Assistant Stage Manager — Jamie Johnstone

Technical Operator — Abby Clearwater

Armourer — Gunner Ashford

Military Advisors — Matt Cross and Pablo Hamber

Props Master — Natasha Pearl

Costume Supervisor — Fraser Mildon

Set Construction — 2Construct

6 7

ACT ONEAgroupofNewZealandsoldiersstruggleupa

hillcalledChunukBaironGallipoliPenisula,early

inWorldWarI(August1915).Nobbyisshot

dead.SmilerandPorkyraidhiscorpse.Porky

killsaTurkishgunnersoSmilercangotothe

toiletsafely.TheKiwisreachthetopandrealise

hardlyanyTurksaredefendingthehill.OtherNZ

soldiersarrive:toughguyMac;ex-Bible-teacher

Holy;SergeantFrankandhisyoungerbrother

Fred;andScruffy.Theyareledbycapable

ColonelConnollyandhisnewLieutenant,

Harkness,andbringthreeruinedmachineguns.

Macofferstofixtheguns.Harknesstriesto

impressthemenwithhistoricalknowledge;after

checkingtheterritory,hedeclarestheycantake

thesummit.ConnollysendsHarknesstofind

otherNewZealandsoldiers.

Connollyislimping;FredandFrankremovea

bulletfromhisleg.MacandHolyexplainto

Scruffywhythey’retryingtocapturethehill.

Harknessreturnswithbadnews:they’recut

offfromtheKiwitroopslowerdown.Connolly

tellsHarknesshowtoughhismenare.Fresh

Britishtroopsarriveonthebeach,andtheKiwis

expectthemtocomeupasreinforcements.

OtakiGeorge,aMaoriBattalionsoldier,arrives

andsaysmostotherNewZealandershave

beenkilled.ConnollydeclarestheKiwiscan

takeChunukBairalone.Thecompanymount

abayonetcharge,killtheTurksandtakethe

summit.Harknessdigsintothetrenches.

Bassettarrives,runningcommunicationscable.

HesaystheAustraliansaremostlydead,the

otherKiwisarestuckdownthehill,andthe

Britishremainonthebeach.Scruffyfixesthe

machinegun.Bassettconnectsthephone

WHAT's the story?the synopsis

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?key ideas

THE REALITIES OF WAR:Theplayisbasedonactualeventsfrom6–9August1915on

ChunukBair.Shadbolthighlightsthehorror(andblackhumour)oftrenchwarfareunder

primitiveconditions:notenoughwater,workingweaponsorinformationtokeeptroops

functioningeffectively.FriendlyfirefromBritishshipsdidkillAlliedForcesonthehill.

NEW ZEALAND COURAGE: The“Kiwis”areportrayedasgenuinehumanheroes.Onthe

surfacetheydonotrespectthedeadandmaketerriblejokes,butintheheatofbattlethey

standbyoneanotherandfightbravelyoutofprideandcamaraderie,regardlessofwhether

theybelieveintheBritishversionofthe“WarofEmpire”.

BRITISH INCOMPETENCE:ShadboltsuggeststheBritishcommanderswerehopeless

–fromthecluelessGeneralSirIanHamiltontothedrunkenBrigadier-GeneralJohnston.In

theenditisnottheTurksbuttheBritishthattheANZACscurse…

totheBritishcommanders,butthelinegoesdeadbeforeConnollysaystheKiwishavetakenChunukBair.

ACT TWOLater.TheKiwisareunderheavyfire;theyseetheBritsonthebeachswimmingandsunbathinginsteadofsendingreinforcements.Turkishreinforcementsarrive.Bassettkeepscomingandgoing,tryingtogetthephoneworking.ConnollysendsFranktofindouthowHarknessandhismenaregettingon.FinallyaphonedmessagefromBritishGeneralHamilton:insteadofsendingBritishreinforcements,hepraisestheAustralians(!)whohavetakenChunukBair,andhopestheyhaveaBritishflagandamusicalbandtokeeptheirspiritsup.Thelinegoesdeadagain;BassettpromisesConnollytotakethetruthdowntheline.

FrankreturnsandconvincesConnollytocallHarkness’crewback;thewoundedareleftandslaughteredbytheTurks.FranksavesFredfromagrenade.Holyfindshisfaithagain.Connollyordersadesperatebayonetcharge.Harknesskeepstryingthephonetocallforreinforcements.Aftermanyhours,HarknesstakesoverfromanexhaustedConnolly.Theycharge.HarknessandMacarekilled.ConnollytellsFrankheisdeterminedtostayandprovehowstupidtheBritishstrategyis.Thephonerings;theBritishcommanderinstructsthemtoholdChunukBairwithoutreinforcements.Anotherbayonetcharge.OtakiGeorgeiskilled.Frankcomesback;Freddoesnot.TheBritishwarshipfinallyblaststhehill.ConnollyandPorkyarekilled,Smilermortallywounded.FrankcallsGeneralHamiltonandgivestheirfinalmessage:“F@#Kyourwar.”

8 9

WHO’S WHO ON THE HILL?

the characters

PORKY isajoker.Hegiveshisfellowsoldiersahardtime,teasingthemandcreatingblackhumourfromtheirsituation.

sergeant FRank istrustworthy,smartanddependable.HismainfocusiskeepinghisbrotherFredsafe.

HOLY isthoughtfulbutdisillusioned.Hehaslosthisfaithafterthehorrorsofthebattlefield,andissensitivetobeingremindedaboutit.However,heregainshisbeliefintheend.

colonel connolly isbraveandcommitted.Heisagenuineleaderwithanunconventionalstyle,usingsarcasmandironytogivecommandsandtellhismenhowmuchhebelievesinthem.

LIEUTENANT HARKNESS isnewtothewar.Hetriestopullrankandgiveordersbutthebattle-wearymenmockhisinnocence.Helearnsthroughthebattleandapologisesforhishigh-handedbehaviour.

FRED iskeentoprovehimselfandgetoutfromunderhisolderbrotherFrank’sprotectiveshadow.

THE OFFICERS

THE RANK + FILE SOLDIERS

scruffyAfarmhand.Deepthinkingandslightlyslowwitted.Atadbehindthe8-ball.

SMILER isempatheticandunderstandsotherpeople.HerecognisesthatPorkyneedstojoke,butalsostandsupfortheotherswhenPorkygoestoofar.

1110

Talking Points • Whichcharacterdoyouidentifywithmosteasily?Explainwhy.

• Inthestagedirections,thecharacterofHarkness“findshimselfneither

comfortablenorwelcomeanywhere.”Whymightthisbe?(Seethe

director’scommentsforclues!)Howishisdiscomfortportrayedinthis

production?

• Connollysays“We’redamnfinekillers.Bredtoit.Hunters,farmers,

slaughtermen.”WhatfacetsofNewZealand’searlysocietycanyouseein

thebehaviourofthesecharacters?

OTAKI GEORGE isbothphilosophicalandpractical.Hedoeswhatisrequired,butquestionswhyhe,aMaori,isfightingthisBritishwar.HehighlightsthesuperficialityofNewZealand’sbiculturalism.

NobbyAyoungsoldierwhohasliedabouthisageinordertoenlist.

BASSETTisdeterminedandfocused.Hehascommittedtodohisjob,andwilldoitatallcosts.

MAC wantstoappeartough.Heworkshardtokeepface,andgetsangryatPorkyformakingjokesathisexpense,andScruffytryingtohelphimmendthemachinegun.

12 13

THE ARRIVALTheNewZealandandAustraliantroops

landedontheGallipoliPeninsulafromthe

seaon25April2015–thefirstANZACDay.

Theyarrivedatthewrongbeach,northof

theplannedposition.TheTurkshadwell-

establishedgunpositionshighinthehills,and

astheAlliedsoldiersarrivedonthebeaches

theyweremowndownbymachine-gun

fire.Bytheendofthefirstday,hundreds

ofdeadandwoundedcoveredthebeach,

andtheremainingsoldierswerehaphazardly

dispersedthroughthefoothills,takingcover

anywheretheycouldfindit,withoutorders

orachainofcommand.

THE TERRAINTheGallipoliPeninsulaislargelywithout

cover–thegroundisdryandlittlegrows.

Therewasnoprotectionfromthepitiless

sunduringthelongdays.Hard,rockysoil

madeitextremelydifficulttodigtrenchesfor

protection,latrinesforwaste,orgravesfor

thedead.Flies,dustandheatwereconstant

andlethalcompanions.Deadbodiespiledand

rottedintheheat;trenchesfilledwithhuman

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED? the history behind the BATTLE

wasteandmaggots.WiththeTurkishguns

playinghavocwithincomingships,supplies

werescant–thetroopshadnowood,

barbedwireorothermaterialstoreinforce

theirpositions.

THE TROOPSBythetimeoftheAugustoffensive,

themajorityofthetroopsweresickand

exhausted.Inadequateshelterandprotection

meantnorestforthesoldiers.Foodrations

werehardArmybiscuitandtinnedbullybeef

–nofruitorvegetablesofanykind–sothe

menweremalnourishedandsufferingfrom

dysentery.InthewordsofhistorianChris

Pugsley,“ByAugust1915afitmanatAnzac

wassomeonecapableofstandingupand

holdingarifle.”

THE ATTACK InAugust1915,therewastobeaconcerted

attackontheSariBairRange,acommanding

pieceofthepeninsula.Theplanwasthat

theNewZealanderswouldtakeChunukBair,

backedupbythelandingofaBritishcorps

atSuvlaBay,whiletheAustraliansattacked

“No one ever thought of

not coming back.”

Cecil Lovegrove, Wellington Infantry Battalion

LonePineandtheNek.Baddecisionsby

commandersledtounnecessarycarnage;

forinstance,theAucklandBattalionwas

decimatedatRhododendronRidgeon7

August.

Nevertheless,theWellingtonBattalion,under

LieutenantColonelMalone,managedtoseize

thehighgroundofChunukBairjustbefore

dawnon8August1915.Theyheldoutfor

twodaysattremendouscost–hundredsof

livesweresacrificedtoholdthehill.Onthe

nightof9August,thefewsurvivingNew

ZealanderswerefinallyrelievedbyBritish

troops.Bythemorningof10August,the

BritishhadbeendrivenoutandChunukBair

wasbackinTurkishhands.

AftertheAugustoffensivefailedtherewas

astalemate.InDecember1915theANZACs

evacuatedGallipoli,followedbytherestof

theAlliedtroopsinJanuary1916.Ironically,

thewithdrawalwascarefullyplannedand

executed,instarkcontrasttothecampaign

itself.

TheGallipolicampaignhadalmostnobearing

ontheoutcomeofthewar.

14 15

WHO WENT TO WAR?facts about the NZ

Expeditionary Forces

• In1910-1911NewZealandorganiseda

TerritorialForceofsome30,000men,who

weretrainedintheuseofnewweapons

andmilitarytechnologiestopreparefor

war.

• NewZealandchannelledhugeresources

intotheoverseaswar.By1918,£6,481,002

hadbeenraisedforthewareffortbyNew

Zealandpatrioticsocieties.

• 100,000NewZealandmensignedup

tofightforKingandCountryintheFirst

WorldWar.Morethan16,000losttheir

livesandover41,000werewounded.

• Ofthe8,427NewZealandersonGallipoli,

2,721diedand4,752werewounded.

• On7August1915,theAucklandBattalion

suffered300casualtiesin20minutesas

theywereorderedtorundirectlyacross

“When New Zealanders went

to war, they were ignorant

of its causes and innocent

of its meaning.”

Ormund Burton, The Silent Division

200yardsofunprotectedgrounddirectly

atthetrencheshousingtheTurkmachine

gunemplacements.

• 700menattackedChunukBairon8

August1915.Bynightfall,lessthan70men

remained.

• Therearejust265NewZealandgraves

atGallipoli;manyareforsoldierswhowere

onlyidentifiedafterthewarendedin1918.

• OnChunukBair,theNewZealand

MemorialcommemoratesKiwideadwho

wereidentified.TheNewZealandMemorial

totheMissingnames850soldiersnever

found.

• ThetotalAlliedandTurkishcasualties

fromtheGallipolicampaignareestimated

at500,000.

16 17

On day one of rehearsals, co-director Ian Mune gives a commanding address to his assembled cast and crew, the troops of ONCE ON CHUNUK BAIR.

Mune’sfirstpointisthattheplayisnot

history.“It’sahighlyartificialthing.Weneed

touseallourskillsasliarstomakeitseemas

realaspossible.”That’snottodiminishthe

accuracyoftheplay’srecreationofevents;

thedirectorisquicktoapplaudplaywright

MauriceShadboltandhistorianChrisPugsley

fortheamountofpainstakingresearchthey

conductedtoinformthescript.“Maurice

wasalwaysapedanticbastard”Munesays

warmly,“he’dknoweverydamndetail.”That

said,therealeventsserveonlyasinspiration

forthedrama.Theplayisinformedbyhistory,

butdoesn’trecreateit.“Ifyoutriedtoputthe

realityofthiswaronstage,itwouldn’twork,”

Munesays.Whatmatters“ishowmuchwe

investitwithOURreality.”

Thatmeanscapturingtheessentialqualities

ofNewZealandsocietyintheearlytwentieth

century.“Wewillhavetodoagreatdealof

WHO’S IN CHARGE HERE?Ian Mune addresses

the troops

worktofindthatreality,whichwedon’tknow

anymore.”Munepointsoutthehallmarksof

ourmodernurbanenvironment–cellphones,

newcars,fancytakeawaycoffee–would

havebeentotallyforeigntotheyoungmen

whosigneduptofightfortheBritishEmpire

intheGreatWar.“NewZealandwasmostly

rural.Thecitiesweresmall.”EvenwhenMune

wasgrowingup,decadeslater,“virtually

everykidhadaconnectionwithafarming

family.We’dspendourholidaysonthefarm,

swimmingintheriver.Mostpeopleknew

howtorideahorse.”That,saysMune,gives

themenoftheplayadifferentbackground

totoday’surbansophisticates.“Soweneed

todiscovertheeverydayrealitiesofthose

mostlyruralguys,whostucktheirhandsup

toenlistinwhatwassupposedtobe‘the

shortestwarinthehistoryoftheworld.’”

OneofMune’sobjectivesforthisproduction

istotransporttheaudienceintothepast.

“We’vegottamakethemtimetravelinthat

firstsixpages.”Thatmeans,hesays,“we

havetoknowthatworldsowellthatweare

it.”Onewaytodemonstratethedifference

willbethroughaccent.Ahundredyearsago,

theKiwiaccentwasmuchlesshomogenous

thanitisnow.MostPakehaNewZealanders

stillhadtracesoftheoriginalScots,Irish,

WelshorEnglishaccentsoftheirheritage,

andtheideaofdistinct“Kiwi”speechwas

onlyjustevolving.Munerecommendsthat

theactorsdotheirresearch,listeningto

18 19

archivedsoundrecordingsofturn-of-the-

centuryKiwis.“Hearthosevoices.They’llgive

youastrongsenseofaworldwedon’tknow.”

Intheinterestsofauthenticity,thecast

isgoingtobesplitforthefirstweeksof

rehearsal.Muneisgoingtoworkwiththe

officers,andco-directorCameronRhodes

withthe“commonsoldiers”.Thisreflectsthe

play’sstructure,wherethetwoworldsare

keptseparate,thoughexistingsimultaneously

side-by-side.“Atthebeginningthetwo

worldswon’tseemuchofeachother.So

whenConnollyandHarknessdoaddtheir

layertotheplay,there’llbesomeclashes.”

“Themen’swholeworldisonlyconnected

toConnollythroughFrank,”Munepoints

out,“andtheyhavenoconnectionatallto

Harkness–heisessentiallyaforeigner.”

ThedifferenceisthatConnollyisacountry

man,likethecommonsoldiers,thoughofa

differentrank:ifthemenarethefarm-hands,

“Connollyownsthefarm.Hemoveseasily

throughthestrata,buthedoesn’tsitdownto

haveacuppawiththemen.”Hecommands

byworkingthemen–andhimself–“harder

thananybodyelse.”

Munehearstheechoesofthegreatsin

Connolly’sclimacticlines.“His‘Ihatethe

bloodylotofya’speechisasignofabsolute

respect–everyoneonthathillisfeeling

trepidation,butthereisalsorespectanda

strangesenseoffellowfeeling.Connollyis

thisguywhocutsstraightthroughitall.”As

muchastheplayfightsagainstglorifying

war,itrecognisesheroicleadership.“When

you’rereadingthescript,”Munesays,“you

shouldhear‘Oncemoreintothebreach,

dearfriends,oncemore…’Allthegreat

commandershaveaversionofthosewords.”

And,hesaysfirmly,“ifyoudon’tknowwhat

I’mtalkingabout,goandbloodyfindout.”

Thusaremarchingordersgiven…Bestfoot

forward,troops.

Talking Points • ListentoexamplesofoldNewZealandaccents(thereisagoodarchiveathttp://www.teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/40124/changing-new-zealand-speech)Howarethevoicesdifferentfrommodern‘Kiwi’accents?Canyoureproducetheseold-styleaccents?

• Howclearwerethetwoworldsoftheofficers/commonsoldiersintheplay?How was this separation highlighted through the staging and performances?

• MunequotesShakespeare’sline“Oncemoreintothebreach…”Whichplayisthis from? What is the context of the speech, and what is it about? How is it relevanttoConnolly’sironicspeechattheclimaxofCHUNUKBAIR?

• DiscusswhyinsultsarecommonlyusedaspraiseinNewZealand.Whatdoesthissuggestabout‘thenationalcharacter’?

20 21

Maurice Shadbolt was always interested in Gallipoli. “As a novelist and as a New Zealander, I had been fascinated by the campaign long before I first visited the peninsula in 1977.” At Gallipoli, he was blown away by the power of the place.

However,itwasinaclassicalamphitheatre

atTroythattheseedofthisplaywas

sown.Shadboltwas“struckbysomething

extraordinary.Nosignificantpoem,song,

novelorpainting–literallynothinginour

nation’sculturallife–enshrinedtheNew

ZealandexperienceoftheGallipolicampaign;

andthisthoughAnzacDay,25April,remained

conspicuousonourcalendars.”

Thiswaspartlyduetothesocialhistoryof

NewZealandinthefirsthalfofthetwentieth

century.Intheearlydecades,officialwar

propagandadrownedoutthestoriestold

byreturningservicemen–andmademany

WHAT’S THE STORY’S STORY?

the history of the play

menfeelunabletosharetheirstories.In

contrast,the1960sand70ssawabacklash

againsttheANZAClegend.Youngpeople

protestingtheVietnamWarweresceptical

aboutanytraditionseentoglorifywar,and

commemorative‘celebrations’wereattended

byfewerandfewerpeople.

However,bytheearly1980s,whentheplay

waswritten,themoodhadchanged,setting

thesceneforartandliteratureaboutNew

Zealand’sroleintheGreatWar.Ascritic

JamesBennettexplains,“MauriceShadbolt

recognizedthatthe‘oldmythologyof

Gallipoli’wasmoribundandthatthetradition

neededtobere-examined‘inafresh,human

andveryvividlight‘.Hisworkincollaboration

withChristopherPugsleyledhimtothe

convictionthattherewasafirmbasisfor

revitalizingpublicmemoryoftheevent.”

ItwasinthetheatreinTroythatShadbolt’s

ideascametogether.“Iconceivedatheatrical

Talking Points • ShadboltsayshewantedtopresenttheeventsatGallipoli“inafresh,humanandveryvividlight”.Howsuccessfullydoestheplayachievethisobjective?

• Attitudestowarhavechangedoverthedecades.Howwouldyoudescribeyourgeneration’sgeneralattitudetocombat?Wouldyoupersonallyconsidersigning up to fight for New Zealand? How about for the Queen and Britain? Howdoesyourpositioncomparetotheattitudesofthevariouscharactersinthe play?

• WhatdoesShadboltmeanbycallingtheplay“alivingmemorial”?Doesitserveassuch?

• CreateascenearoundaNewZealandfamilydinnertableontheeveofwar,1914.Giveeachcharacteradifferentattitudeto“fightingfortheEmpire”.Howmightthescenedeveloporresolve?

piece–somekindoflivingmemorial–which

wouldallowGallipolitogiveupitsNew

Zealanddead.Notanovel;aplay.Myfirst,

andpossiblymylast.”

ThedramaofChunukBairprovidedthe

dramaticfocus.InShadbolt’swords,“I

wantedtodistiltheentireNewZealand

experienceofthecampaignbetweendawn

andduskinasingleday–8August1915,the

day700or800soldiersoftheWellington

InfantryBattaliontookthesummitofChunuk

BairfromtheTurksandforafewminutes

hadsightoftheDardanelles,theobjective

oftheAlliedoffensive.”Thustheplay’s

structurefulfilstheclassical‘threeunities’

oftime,placeandaction:therearenojumps

intimeorlocation,andtheactionproceeds

seamlesslyfrommeetingthecharactersto

theinevitableclimax.

ONCEONCHUNUKBAIRpremieredonthe

eveofAnzacDay1982atAuckland’sMercury

Theatre.Theoriginalproductionwasdirected

byIanMune,whoalsodirectedarevivalin

1989,andistheco-directorofthisAuckland

TheatreCompanyproduction.In1992,

theplaywasmadeintoafilm,calledsimply

CHUNUKBAIR,directedbyDaleG.Bradley.

“There is possibly no

battlefield in the world more

extravagantly haunted.”

Maurice Shadbolt, Voices of Gallipoli

2322

WHO WAS THE WRITER? playwright Maurice Shadbolt

Maurice Shadbolt (1932 – 2004) was one of New Zealand’s most prolific and acclaimed authors.

BorninAuckland,ShadboltwasaKiwi

throughandthrough.Hisworkconsistently

exploredNewZealandidentityandlifeasa

NewZealander,andheusednativehistory,

tradition,landscapeandfolkloreinhiswork.

Hisfirstcollectionofshortstories,published

inBritainin1959,wascalledTheNew

Zealanders;asimilarly-themedcollection,

SummerFiresandWinterCountry,followed

in1963.AmongtheCinders,thefirstofhis

11novels,waspublishedin1967.Overthe

followingdecadeshewrotetwomoreshort

storycollections,avolumeofjournalism,two

plays(thesecond,“TheGreatKiwiConcert

Show”,wasamusicalinalight-hearted

vein),awarhistory(“VoicesofGallipoli”,a

recommendedresourceforstudentsofthis

play),andtwoautobiographicalworks.

Shadboltreceivedmanyawardsand

commendationsforhiscontributiontoNew

Zealandliterature,includingaCBE(1989),the

CommemorationMedalforservicestoNew

Zealand(1990),anhonorarydoctoratefrom

theUniversityofAuckland(1997),andanAW

ReedLifetimeAchievementAward(2002).

HewontheNewZealandBookAward(1981),

theJamesWattieAward(1978,1981and

1987),theKatherineMansfieldMemorial

Fellowship(1998)andMemorialAward(1963,

1995),theBurnsFellowship(1963)andthe

ScholarshipinLetters(1959,1970and1982).

FourofhisnovelswonNewZealandBookof

theYearwhentheywerepublished.Shadbolt

remainstheonlyNewZealandertohavewon

theKatherineMansfieldShortStoryAward

threetimes.

Shadbolthadfourmarriagesandfive

children.HediedinTaumaranui,aged72.

2524

SETJohnVerryt’ssetforONCEONCHUNUK

BAIRemphasisesthetrickyterrainthe

soldiersfacedinGallipoli’sharshlandscape.

Asteeprakerunsupstage.Actorsenter

throughcrawlspacesinthedownstagearea,

andoncetheyareontheset,thereisno

goingback:theonlywayisup.“Onceyou’re

on,youcan’tgetoff,”Johnsays,“except

overthetop.”Intheworldoftheplay,the

topiswheretheTurks,andaviewofthe

Dardanelles,liewaiting.“It’sprettyrugged”

Johntellsthecast.“There’llbealotof

climbing.”

Tohelptheactorsgetusedtothesteep

slope,alargeportionofthesetisarriving

intherehearsalstudiouncharacteristically

early,inthesecondweekofrehearsals.The

cliff-facewillbeconstructedofplywood

forstrength,andcoveredwithheavy-duty

cardboard.Johnlikescardboardbecause“it

dingsup,andtearsabit”astheactorswork

onit,givingtherequiredbroken-inlook.

WHAT SETS THE SCENE? the design of Chunuk Bair

Set-dressingwilladdtothesenseof

authenticity,withsandanddirtstrewn

acrossthesurface.Apileofsandbagswill

lettheactorsreshapetheirenvironment.

Foraddeddrama,realexplosionswillkickup

cloudsofdustandsmoke–thankstocansof

compressedairconcealedincrevices.

“We were instructed at all times to maintain the line of advance. In that steep terrain it was an

impossibility.” Vic Nicholson, Wellington Infantry Battalion

Set Model

26 27

COSTUMECostumingislikewisefocusedonauthenticity,

withthekhakisoftheoriginalsoldiers’

uniforms.Ratherthandoinga‘design’as

such,costumedesignerTraceyCollinshas

done“anunbelievableamountofresearch”,

rightdowntodetailssuchastheinsignia

oftheWellingtonInfantryBattalion.Each

actor/soldierwillbefittedwithafulluniform,

andthen“we’lllookattheidiosyncrasies

ofeachcharacter”asrehearsalsprogress,

addingordeletingelementsasappropriate.

Theuniformswillbe“invariousstates

ofbreakdown”,showingthehardship

thesoldiershavealreadyendured–the

costumierswilltearthefabricandmuddy

thecostumeswithvarioustypesofdirt

andcharcoal.

LIGHTINGLighting-wise,designerSeanLynchaimsto

replicatetheprogressoftheplay’ssingle

day,fromdawntodark.Hewantstocapture

“theincredibleheat”oftheTurkishdesert,

andmaketheexperiencequitevisceral,

foractorsandaudience.Theapproach

willbenaturalistic,withthewholestagelit

throughout,sothere’snowherefortheactors

tohide,thoughsomeareaswillbeintensified

tofocusattentiononparticularaction.

Explosions,onandoffstage,willbecreated

withflashesoflight.

SOUNDSoundeffectswillalsoshoreupthe

explosions,andcreatetherealisticsenseof

thebattlefield.SounddesignerJasonSmith

willcreaterecordingsthatidentifytheTurkish

positions,thefar-offbattles(suchasthe

AustralianoffensiveatLonePine)andthe

ambientsoundsofthelandscape.Speaker

placementwillensuretheaudiencefeels

‘surrounded’,andthesoundscapewillbefairly

continuousundertheaction.“We’llstartby

puttingeverythingin”,Jasonsays,“andthen

pareitback.”Aswiththelighting,thesound

willintensifytounderscorekeymomentsin

theaction.

YoucanlistentoJasontalkingabouthis

sounddesignonRadioNZ:www.radionz.

co.nz/audio/player/2598854

28 29

WEAPONS

ATC Company Manager Fern Christie-

Birchall explains the unique challenges

of working with weapons on stage...

Itisvitalforthisproductionthatthe

castisfamiliarwiththeweaponryand

ammunitionaccuratetotheperiod.New

ZealandsoldiersinWorldWarIwere

armedwithLeeEnfield.303riflesandtheir

commandingofficerswerearmedwith.455

WebleyPistols.Duringrehearsalsarmourer

GunnerAshfieldintroducedtheseweapons

andthecasthad4weekstofamiliarise

themselveswiththeactionoftherifles,

includingloading,firingandemptyingthem.

Achallengefortheactorsisworkingwith

thelengthoftherifles.Alonetheystandat

approximately1.2metresbuttheaddition

ofabayonetincreasesthelengthupwards

of1.5metres.Whilstthiswasusefulfor

Talking Points • Howdidthedirector/actors

use the set naturalistically and symbolically? Which elements of the set did you find most effective?

• Discusshowlightingcontributed to key ideas in the play – for example the passing of time, the pressures of the battlefield, the camaraderie of the men, and the position of theofficers.

• Howdidyourespondtothe soundscape? Were you conscious of it throughout? When was the sound most apparent? How was it significant at these moments?

• Imagineyouhadtocreateacostume for one of the British commanders mentioned (withoutappearing)intheplay. How might you research the appropriate uniform and insignia?

• Howwouldyoudescribetheoverallstyleofthisproduction?Can you imagine a production usingadifferentstylisticapproach? Sketch/build/enact some aspect in the imagined style.

dealingwithanenemyonthebattlefieldit

isdifficulttowieldincloseproximitywith

yourfellowactors.

Wemanagedthischallengeinseveral

ways:

• Thereisanetiquettearoundhandling

firearms,forexamplewhenhanding

someoneagunyoualwaysdemonstrateit

isnotloadedandasyouhandtheweapon

overyousay"thisfirearmisnotloaded".If

youarehandingoveraloadedweapon(as

youwouldasarmourer)youacknowledge

verbally;"handingyoualivefirearm".

• Duringthestagingoftheproductionall

roundsareeitheremptyor'blank'.This

meansthereisnoprojectilebutweget

areasonablyaccurategunshoteffectof

sound,flareandrecoil.

• Wheneverarealfirearmisbeing

usedinfilm,TVortheatreanArmourer

mustbeemployedtooverseetheir

careandusage.AnArmourerissuitably

trainedandlicensedtohandlefirearms.

Therearestrictlawsgoverningtheir

use,storageandhandling.Therearea

numberofclassificationsforweapons.In

ordertohandlefirearmsinthisindustry

thearmourerneedstoholdaCClass

'Theatrical'licenseorhigher.

• Therulesaroundhandlingfirearmsina

stageshowareprettystrict.Inallcases

arealfirearmshouldalwaysbetreatedas

loadedanddangerous.Firingablankisstill

adangerousexercise.

30 31

ABOUT ATC EDUCATION

ATCEducationpromotesandencouragesteachingandparticipationintheatreandactsasaresourceforsecondaryandtertiaryeducators.Itisacomprehensiveandinnovativeeducationprogrammedesignedtonurtureyoungtheatrepractitionersandfutureaudiences.

ATCEducationhasdirectcontactwithsecondaryschoolstudentsthroughoutthegreaterAucklandregionwithafocusondeliveringanexcitingandpopularprogrammethatsupportstheArtseducationofAucklandstudentsandwhichfocusesoncurriculumdevelopment,literacyandtheArts.

AucklandTheatreCompanyacknowledgesthattheexperiencesenjoyedbytheyouthoftodayarereflectedinthevibrancyoftheatreinthefuture.

CURRICULUM LINKS

ATCEducationactivitiesrelatedirectlytothePK,UCandCIstrandsoftheNZCurriculumfromlevels5to8.TheyalsohavedirectrelevancetomanyoftheNCEAachievementstandardsatallthreelevels.

AllsecondaryschoolDramastudents(Years9to13)shouldbeexperiencinglivetheatreasapartoftheircoursework,UnderstandingtheArtsinContext.Curriculumlevels6,7and8(equivalenttoyears11,12and13)requiretheinclusionofNewZealanddramaintheircourseofwork.

TheNCEAexternalexaminationsateachlevel(Level1–AS90011,Level2–AS91219,Level3–AS91518)requirestudentstowriteaboutlivetheatretheyhaveseen.Studentswhoareabletoexperiencefullyproduced,professionaltheatrearegenerallyadvantagedinansweringthesequestions.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

recommended resources

Bennett, James. “Man Alone and Men Together: Maurice Shadbolt, William Malone

and Chunuk Bair”JournalofNewZealandStudiesNS13(2012),46-61.VictoriaUniversity

ofWellington.http://ojs.victoria.ac.nz/jnzs/article/view/1189/1116Published2012.Accessed

06.05.2014.

Cameron, David W. Sorry, lads, but the order is to go: The August offensive, Gallipoli:

1915. UNSWPress.Sydney,2009.Print.

'First World War bibliography'http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/first-world-war-bibliography

ManatūTaonga–MinistryforCultureandHeritage.Updated18.10.2013.Accessed11.03.2014.

Web.

“Maurice Shadbolt” New Zealand Literature File. http://www.nzlf.auckland.ac.nz/

author/?a_id=145Accessed12.05.2014.Web.

“New Zealand WW100”.http://ww100.govt.nz/ManatūTaonga–MinistryforCultureand

Heritage.Accessed25.03.2014.Web.

“Obituary: Maurice Shadbolt.”NewZealandHerald.http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/

article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3599408Published11.10.2004.Accessed16.05.2014.Web.

Pugsley, Chris et al. Kiwis in Conflict: 200 years of New Zealanders at War.Bateman.

Auckland,2008.Print.

“Researching New Zealand soldiers in the First World War”.MinistryforCultureand

Heritage.http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/researching-first-world-war-soldiers.Updated

11.10.2013.Accessed19.05.2014.Web.

Shadbolt, Maurice. Voices of Gallipoli.DavidLingPublishing.Auckland,2001.Print.

Wright, Matthew. Shattered Glory: the New Zealand Experience at Gallipoli and the

Western Front. Penguin.Auckland,2010.Print.

JOIN THE CONVERSATIONPost your own reviews and comments, check out photos of all our productions, watch exclusive interviews with actors and directors, read about what inspires the playwrights we work with and download the programme and education packs.

Places to find out more about ATC and engage with us:

ENGAGE

www.atc.co.nz

@akldtheatreco

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AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY487 Dominion Road, Mt Eden PO Box 96002, Balmoral, Auckland 1342

Ph: 09 309 0390 Fax: 09 309 0391 Email: atc@atc.co.nz