One Hill of a Fight has material and maturity

Writing and staging a play about part of Hamilton’s history requires the same sort of courage and tenacity displayed by its central character.

The opening show for the renovated Meteor Theatre, One Hill of a Fight centres on the key movers in Hamilton politics during the 1920s and 30s and in particular WWI veteran and borough engineer Rupert Worley.

It was Worley’s determination that achieved the removal of the hill resulting in the area we know as Garden Place.

At first glance making a play out of Hamilton politics 80 years ago might seem to be a recipe for rigour mortis, but Switzer’s skillful script turns it into a gripping yarn which tumbles along at a clipping pace.

The show starts with Worley, a keen but naive civil engineer, drawing a map of the central city on an antique blackboard to show his ideas to members of the Hamilton Borough Council. These include mayor John Fow (Nicolas Wells) and Frankton stalwart Charles Lafferty (Graham Pollard).

This is sensible device by Switzer as the audience can then understand what is to follow.

What follows is a struggle for supremacy between backers of central business and the vital rail town of Frankton. It also gives poignant insight into the early years of the Great Depression.

Clever in-jokes include a suggestion that the flattened area could become an ‘‘eye sore and home to swagmen and vagrants’’ which drew knowing laughter from the local audience.

These also carry images of historic Hamilton buildings and interiors. Wardrobe gets close to an authentic 1930s look and in a nice touch the audience is given the opportunity of casting their votes for or against ‘the hill’ with period coins.

It is a positive sign for the growing maturity in Hamilton theatre that playwrights are willing to chance new material for new and young audience to enjoy.

Accolades must also go to producer Russell Armitage who underwrote the production.

One Hill of a Fight, directed by Michael Switzer and produced by Russell Armitage, can be seen at the Meteor Theatre, 1 Victoria St, until May 27.

One Hill of a Fight, written and directed by Michael Switzer, Meteor Theatre. Russell Armitage and Graham Baird hold a picture of Garden place when there was a hill on it.