Bayonets, bullets and frocks

Press, 16 June 1982, Page 22

Bayonets, bullets and frocks

About five or six years ago. when reading about the Kiwi Concert Party. Tom Parkinson. Television New Zealand’s head of entertainment. was struck by "the fantastic image of soldiers going off to war totally togged out with bayonets and bullets, carrying their makeup boxes and frocks." As a producer of television entertainment programmes always on the look-out for ideas, he stored away the image.

The idea went through a period of gestation for several years and emerged early this year. Several evolutions later, including a stage presentation at the Mercury Theatre, the idea has' grown into a six-part series chronicling the Second World War as seen through the eyes of the New Zealanders. The central characters in this story are the members of the Kiwi Concert Party, an entertainment unit that was formed during the war “to brighten the. lives of our boys.” The characters are not based on the real members of the concert party — rather they represent' the spirit of the entertainers.

New Zealand’s concert party was unlike the concert parties of other countries because the New Zealand performers were a fighting .unit. They carried weapons, were often stationed next to the battlefield, came under fire, and some were even captured. They performed in whatever venue was available. scrounged make-up and costumes from whatever

they could and somehow kept these costumes immaculate.

In the production "The Great Kiwi Concert Show," the concert party tell jokes, dance, dress up as women, and sing to the troops "to give them a laugh or two, a tear or two because before long some of them will be dead." The bawdy gaiety of the concert party performers contrasts with the tragedy and horror of war. The concert party members are not promoted as heroes. They were ordinary soldiers who were performing in the line of duty. They were not particularly good as performers but they did the. best they could. "It is difficult not to be moved by the concert party’s attempt to make the soldiers forget for a moment why they are there," says TVNZ. The audience Who saw the stage production at the Mercury Theatre “were torn between smiling and sobbing." Through this re-creation, a unique part of New Zealand theatre is documented. The director, Andrew Shaw, listened to tapes of ■ the real concert party (which were recorded, when they did a successful tour of New land after the war) to capture the feel of the show. Some of- the original gags, and signature tunes, like "Kiwis On Parade” and “A Song To Start The Show," are used in the re-creation. National Film Unit footage from "The Years Back" is interspersed with the action as a poignant reminder of the grim reality of war. A Greek chorus of four men. in uniform (Norman Foresey, Gavin Smith, Gerry Taylor and Paul Robinson) sing the genuine war songs of the day — songs composed by the soldiers to popular tunes — that reflect their hopes and their bitterness. The songs provide a statement of what was happening politically during the war. like "Oh Mr Fraser Can't You Send Us Home" or “When This Cruel War Is Over.”

A white-painted muse (Jon Trimmer) is used as a theatrical device to link the varying styles. The muse lets the audience's focus move to different locations. The real concert party had a conjurer and this inspired the muse concept. Maurice Shadbolt, who wrote the dialogue in collaboration with Tom Parkin-

son, has personal memories of the war. “When I was a boy, I had two spare beds, in my room and there seemed to be a constant stream of uncles staying in them. They were either going to or coming back from the war. When they left they’d be cheerful, but when they came back they’d lie awake at night smoking." He also remembers the trainloads,,of American casualties passing

through his town. Members of the concert party include Bruce Allpress, Don Selwyn, Terence Cooper. Paul Sonne. John Watson. Bill Le Marquand and Kevin Baddiley. During the six 50-minute programmes their characters will develop. O "The Great Kiwi Concert Show" will be screened on One at 7 p.m. on Saturday.