‘Roadshow’ stunning

Press, 1 July 1983, Page 4

‘Roadshow’ stunning

“Roadshow,” by John Densem, directed by Bryan Aitken, film direction by Doug Hamilton, musical direction by Dorothy Buchanan, for the New Zealand Roadshow Trust; at the Christchurch Town Hall, June 30 to July 8. Running time: 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reviewed by Gerrit Bahlman.

mons. It is funny, moving, shocking, witty, corny, indigenous, and real! The original show was produced in Canterbury in 1982 and was revived in January this year to form the “Roadshow” tour. It has toured the entire country and by the end of its season, six years of New Zealand’s high school population will

If you have ever wondered what the television commercial focusing on an attractive young woman in white dress running along a beach with a dog had to do with the Ministry of Transport, go to see “Roadshow.” It is the theatrical documentary of the carnage on New Zealand roads, and it is exceptional theatre. Using every medium of communication possible in a theatrical context, it is a prime example of total theatre. Film, music, lighting effects, dance, original song, and gut-wrenching sound effects provide an emotional focus on the twentieth century’s rolling death — 25 million dead, and rising.

have been exposed to its message. The cast of 13 performers were used in a variety of roles. Peter Elliott as the traffic officer carried the majority of the purely didactic material, but Paul Sonne as the doctor was also cast in a sombre light. Russell Smith and Tony Wahren provided much of the humour as the wrecker man, “yer average bloke,” Smith, and the “I’ll sell you anything” adman, Wahren. Elizabeth Moody did not appear as the psychologist, because of illness, her role being taken by Peter Fitzgerald. Mr Fitzgerald’s portrayal lacked weight but was fluent and polished. Cameo roles were in

Statistics are given in the abundance, with moments show, but it is not the latest of comedy and intensity, review of facts on hand. Nor Megan Biddick, Martin is it a turgid, didactic rendi- Duffy, Russell Smith, AlexttMj of the Ministry of andra Vam Dam, Warrick IkMiport “be careful” ser-0 McNeil, and Victoria Bas-

sett were involved in these. Warrick McNeil took the part of Death, while Sarah Franks worked as the lead dancer and Nurse.

Songs were sung by Alexandra Van Dam, Megan Biddick and Russell Smith. The music was in the rock ’n’ roll genre and was sung with confidence and skill. Sarah Davison, as the leading accident victim who survives paralysed, sang the last song of the evening from a wheel chair. Her vocal strength and purity gave the haunting melody, “What’s Done is Done,” memorable impact. The film sequences used were dramatic and well structured to achieve maximum impact in wrenching audience attention back to the live stage dimension. The sequences were full of first-rate stunt driving and accident staging, which gave the production a crisp sense of pace. The only negative feature of the use of film from the original Christchurch production was the failure to associate the characters, Des and Jan, with the final accident scene. It is a comment on the strength of the production that this barely detracted from a stunning piece of theatre.