‘Foreskin’s Lament’

Press, 10 July 1985, Page 8

‘Foreskin’s Lament’

“Foreskin’s Lament,” by Greg McGee, directed by Alex Gilchrist for the Court Theatre. July 9 to August 3. Running time: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reviewed by Gerrit Bahlman. Not the most ornate mirror perhaps but the reflection provided by the rugby changing room in “Foreskin’s Lament” will make everyone look twice. Crafted by a former All Black trialist, the play uses rugby as a tool to pry the pretensions from the backs of its characters. Nudity, filthy language, racism, sexism, vulgarity, anti-homosexual, antifemale, the script is frighteningly normal. “What Are Ya?” Whatever we are, coping with the reality of this play is part of it. The play has been considerably shortened since its 1981 season. The tortuous, never-ending lament of that production is there no more. The script is tight, fast moving, and eloquent. The theme of moral consequence

arising from adherence to outdated codes of behaviour without regard to how it affects other people, is drawn strongly. Playing the game without really knowing what the game is. Not realising that the game differs from person to person. The play is stimulating and ought to be seen by everyone. The only surviving member of the 1981 production is Mervyn Glue as Tupper. Drawn with disgusting delight by Mervyn Glue, Tupper is the apparent other pole to Foreskin. Driven by idealism, these two characters represent the bounds within which all the characters operate. Foreskin was played by Peter Nicholl, a newcomer to the Court. Although a little nervous at the start, he became a dynamic Foreskin as the play progressed. Clean, the man everyone loved to hate was bitterly portrayed by Gary Stalker. The viciousness was laid on with a trowel from

the first entry. There was never any doubt , that Clean was the villain of the piece. Irish, the No. 8, received a cocky, lightly sarcastic treatment from Jeff Boyd, which extracted the maximum comedy. Larry was played by Lewis Martin, and Mean by Jon Pheloung. Essentially background characters, they provided a reminder of the level of normality — Mean’s concern for his wife and child, and Larry’s care and concern for Ken (Mark Hadlow), the doomed caprain. Geraldine Brophy, once more in evidence as the bastion of women’s rights, gave Moira the bite and edge she needed to parye away some of the sexist diatribe the rugby fraternity seemed to enjoy. “Foreskin’s Lament” is worth seeing twice. Whatever your perspective on rugby, this play will help you get it into balance. It is funny and disturbing, a powerful piece of New Zealand drama which has been improved with rewriting.