Historical Hamilton acknowledged in play
One Hill of a Fight is the true story of skulduggery, love, moving mountains and a uniquely Hamilton celebration of coincidence and good fortune.
The parochial production is the work of Hamilton playwright, director and actor Michael Switzer and scheduled as the opening show for the Meteor Theatre after it’s fivemonth, $1.1 million refit.
One Hill of a Fight focuses on the political intrigue and maneuvering that led to the removal of the hill that used to exist where Garden Place is today and on key characters - Hamilton Borough engineer Rupert Worley and his successor James (Jim) Baird.
Worley was determined to solve the key problem of Hamilton’s central business area - it was sub-divided up by a hill and a railway line.
In the face of plenty of local opposition including a Garden Place Preservation Society and a public petition against the idea, the hill, which sloped down to Victoria St, was removed in 1939.
Worley left council in 1942 and the next part of the plan, of undergrounding the railway line, was left to Baird.
The projects won both men international recognition for their engineering work.
Producer Russell Armitage said the play had already attracted a lot of attention from the descendants of its main characters; Worley’s daughter and grand daughter, Baird’s son and grandson and several daughters and grand daughters of then mayor John Fow.
‘‘We have been very lucky, former mayor Margaret Evans is writing a piece for the programme and we will have a set of large historical photographs of Garden Place on display in the Meteor. These were printed for a planned exhibition at the Central Library.’’
Cast members include Ryan Wolf as Rupert Worley, Charlotte Isaac as Betty Worley, Nicolas Wells as John Fow, Graham Pollard as Charles Lafferty and Calum Hughes as James Baird.
One Hill of a Fight, written and directed by Michael Switzer, Meteor Theatre, 1 Victoria St, Hamilton, May 19 - 27. Bookings www.iticket.co.nz