Hall play for V.S.A.

Press, 26 July 1989, Page 20

Hall play for V.S.A.

He has explored middle age and middle-class angst, greed and deliverance, and the trauma of being an English migrant. New Zealand playwright, Roger Hall, now casts his eye farther afield with a new play about the trials and tribulations of New Zealand’s Volunteer Service Abroad. “You Must Be Crazy” is a personal contribution to the agency’s work and the individuals who contribute to its overseas assistance schemes. The play emerged after Hall read a book marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the V.S.A. by a Dunedin writer, Neville Peat. The result was a 40-minute play aimed at young audiences... a production which received its first performance at Parliament Buildings earlier this month.

Under the direction of Ken Duncan, a professional cast of four actors will stage a tour of the Wellington, Kapiti and Wairarapa regions, performing in about 30 schools. Later tours of other regions will follow when sufficient sponsorship is found. According to the V.S.A. the purpose of touring such a show to secondary schools is to inform both students and teachers about the work of New Zealand volunteers in developing countries. It is hoped the play will improve the understanding of the process of development, and the issues involved.