Joint musical offers up best of the 80s
The colourful 1980s era of breakdancing, leg warmers, crop tops, mullets and pop music has a Timaru Girls’ High School student wishing she lived through it.
Abigail Austin, 17, is one of 50 students taking part in Back to the 80’s, a Timaru Girls’ High School (TGHS) and Timaru Boys’ High School (TBHS) joint musical production.
‘‘I wish I was born in the 80s, it seems like a better time,’’ Austin said.
The jukebox musical, written by Neil Gooding, features pop songs from the 1980s and tells the story of the 1989 graduating class of William Ocean High as seen through the eyes of the narrator, Corey Palmer Sr.
Throughout the story, Palmer provides insight into various characters like the cool kids, the nerds, the regular kids, and the school’s faculty.
TGHS head of arts Suzanne White, who is directing the production with TGHS teacher Mathew Chapman, said the students have had ‘‘lots of fun’’ doing the show.
‘‘They’ve really loved the music, even the good old classics like Love Shack and Video Killed the Radio Star.’’
White said Back to the 80’s gave all students the opportunity to participate in a variety of different roles.
She said the audience can expect a ‘‘bright colourful show’’ featuring classic sing-along songs like Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart, Kenny Loggins’ Footloose and Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror.
The musical will run for around two hours and is being staged in the Nora Dickie Hall at TGHS, Cain St, Timaru. Tickets (adults $20 and students $15) are available from the school office and at the door.
Back to the 80’s runs until Friday, May 26 with shows starting at 7.30pm.
Bag snatching warning
Two men have been arrested and charged following a bag snatching attempt on Sophia St, Timaru, at 5pm on Monday. Sergeant Antony Callon, of Timaru, said an eagle eyed officer had witnessed the bag snatching attempt on CCTV and immediately called for support. A dog handler, who was in the vicinity, caught the two men moments after they had taken the bag from a woman who was walking in the area, he said.
Dirty air
Timaru seems poised to have more high air pollution days than allowed by a national target even before the depths of winter. Air quality standards were breached in Timaru for the third time this year as the mercury dropped to its lowest point of autumn. The national environmental standard target says Timaru should have only three highpollution nights each year. This drops to one in 2020. Environment Canterbury’s monitoring station at Anzac Square recorded a 24 hour average PM10 concentration of 54 micrograms of suspended particulate per cubic metre of air on Monday. PM10 refers to particulate matter in the air that is smaller than 10 micrometres in diameter. A reading more than 50 micrograms indicates ‘‘high’’ pollution under the national standard.The daily average reading was confirmed in a 24-hour period in which Timaru’s daily low dropped to minus 2 degrees celsius for the second consecutive day. Timaru had 27 high air pollution days last year.
Rental values
The median residential rent price in Timaru and South Canterbury slipped over April as prices in many regions climbed, the latest TradeMe rental statistics reveal. The online marketplace this week said the median price across the district’s residential rental properties listed on the site was $300 per week, $10 less than in March but - reflecting the national trend - still $20 better than in April 2016. The median price in Timaru was also $300, the same as in April 2016 but $15 down on March. Nationally, the median rent for regions outside the main centres improved $15 between March and April.