DRAMATIC UNHAPPINESS

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34130, 17 April 1976, Page 10

DRAMATIC UNHAPPINESS

Landfall 116 (December, 1975). Edited by Peter Smart. Guest editor Howard McNaughton. 92 pp. Caxton Press. N.Z. price $1.50. (Reviewed by Kevin Cunningham) “Landfall” 116 marks the arrival of a new editor, Peter Smart, who speaks of new directions for the longestablished quarterly: a wish to “woo readers from the feast of distractions which jade even the lustiest of appetites.” Some “reader-wooing strategies” are promised for the future. This particular issue, on “Drama in New Zealand,” has a guest editor, Howard McNaughton, and consists of a series of views by a variety of producers, writers. critics. and performers. Some short scripts are included. The material is interesting in its variety, if scarcely satisfying as any kind of coherent guide to what is actually happening in New Zealand

theatre. Rather too much space is given over to the expatriates and the recently returned, and there is no consideration of radio drama (surely the one area where local drama has truly succeeded) or of experimental theatre: the continuing work of Amamus and Theatre Action must warrant as much attention as the commercial companies. The prevalent mood of the contributions is of complaint: writers, directors, administrators, and performers are all unhappy with each other, and. collectively, with audience-. The Heads of Drama of the two television channels have been given space to announce policies and ambitions: one is not left very optimistic by TV2’s John Mcßae, who speaks of input and of yield, and of getting the audience's attention: television drama is a “nigh-intere.st art-form, it must jag-hook the viewers’ attention and play them in.” Us poor fish.