A novel way to mark Anzac Day
‘Fantastic,” a woman called out as the lights had barely gone out. “Beautiful,” said the woman sitting next to me. A Time Like This is both these things and deserved the hearty applause of last Thursday’s opening night audience.
Ultimately, it showcases Jackie Davis’ evocative writing skills and provides many touchstones for one’s life — old age, illness, death, war, marriage, secrets and friendship.
For me, it was how older people in care are infantilised in seemingly minor ways such as staff shortening their names. If you have been called Douglas your whole life, you won’t want to be called Dougie at 88.
Plus, as Douglas asks in 1984, how do we treat veterans the other 364 days of the year?
Davis also directs A Time Like This and she has hit acting gold with her casting decisions. Mark Kilsby, Palmerston North’s colonel of theatre, needs no introduction. He was only cast as Douglas Chapman two weeks before opening night due to “unforeseen circumstances” and required his script throughout. But it didn’t matter as it was like he was reading his diary, especially as he was sitting down.
When he walked onto the stage, there were murmurs of awe and excitement.
Sam Wyss, who when he takes centre-stage is a captain of performance, plays Young Douglas struggling to adjust to life after returning from capturing World War I in paint.
Anton Wilson is an exciting new talent. Continuing my analogy, the vet student is a lieutenant to the more experienced Kilsby and Wyss.
Wilson has a look-at-me face and puts it to good use playing George, Young Douglas’ friend who needs to learn when to keep his mouth shut. “What was the worst thing you did in the war?” he asks Douglas, egging him on.
The female characters Harriet (Natasha Melbye) and Katherine (Jordyn Weggery) come into their own in the second half. Weggery, an Awatapu College student, did a great job playing a young woman who has caught influenza — how did her face get so red?
The use of poppies is clever and the cast and set make great use of the smaller Globe 2 stage shifting between decades and locations.
The play would benefit from some more storytelling devices and more action. You will need to concentrate hard on the words as Douglas’ secret comes out.
It was unfortunate that despite it being an allocated seating event, people were sitting where they liked, making things difficult for those who came after them.
If you are looking for a way to mark Anzac Day this play takes the biscuit. A Time Like This does not glorify war or death. As Wilfried Owen wrote in Dulce et Decorum Est it is not sweet and fitting to die for one’s country — the old lie.