Lions as extras

Press, 30 June 1983, Page 15

Lions as extras

The topic of this evening’s episode of “Both Sides of the Fence” (One) is the controversial mining issue, and the heated arguments that ensue are reminiscent of what is happening in a number of small New Zealand towns today. When the Government permits a mining consortium to move into Waiatawa, the residents are furious, feeling that they have been sold out. They loudly voice their protests to the Minister of Lands when he arrives to reassure them that their environment will be protected. Meanwhile, the local byelection is coming up and Loma Abbott is standing as a candidate. Lorna is sympathetic to the concerns of the residents and is embarrassed to discover that Cameo is listed as a member of the mining consortium. The tension increases, and Lorna is forced to choose between her party and her electorate. Forty members of the Kumeu/Huapai Lions Club, and their wives, stood in as extras, when scenes were filmed of the townsfolk at the local political party meeting. Two members of the Lions Club, who had never acted before, played the parts of two members of the local political party hierarchy, sitting on-stage with the professionals, while the rest of the group made up the audience. In other scenes, Lions Club members played the parts of incensed townspeople at a meeting to air their objections to the mining company takeover. To inject an atmosphere of realism, they were told: "Pretend a huge mining company has decided to flatten Huapai — and you can imagine how you’d feel about it.” After that the reaction came naturally.