I took this photo the day before flying to Christchurch; A good omen I felt. Kerry and I were off to attend the first night of a play selected to mark the opening of the new Court Theatre in the Christchurch CBD. The original theatre in the old university buildings suffered irreparable damage in the 2011 earthquakes.

The play, The End of The Golden Weather, written 50 years ago by New Zealander Bruce Mason, is a Kiwi classic, and my daughter Lara was honoured to be asked to direct the show. We were thrilled to be at the opening and to see how she would interpret this beloved play. Yes, this was a big deal!

The morning of the play, we were with my sister in Sumner taking a walk along the esplanade. It was a stunning day, and naturally I took a photo, looking along the beach towards the Southern Alps (which sadly, were hidden behind cloud at the time).

Behind me were dozens of surfers, mostly women who were there for a competition. The air was chill, and they all deserved medals for their desire to brave the cold water.

Then, we were there! Seated in the new theatre and watching The End of the Golden Weather.

Raymond Hawthorne adapted the play from the original one-man show, in the 1980s, into a show with several actors playing different characters, plus the narrator, who carries the telling…

‘A boy welcomes us into his world: the fictitious beachside community of Te Parenga, (modelled on Takapuna Beach, Auckland), a golden territory in the land of milk and honey. Life here is idyllic and simple, filled with sun-drenched days by the sea. But as time goes on, the encroaching reality of the outside world starts to seep in. The Queen Street riots ignite whispers of unrest and Boy watches from the sidelines as the local policeman tries to keep the peace.

Christmas comes and goes and life feels like it’s flatlining until he stumbles across local eccentric, Firpo. At first Boy is frightened by Firpo’s strangeness then later he finds himself captivated by Firpo’s dedication to “getting himself fit for the Olympic Games”. Curiosity changes everything about that summer. Filled with bravado, the local lads challenge Firpo to a race and Boy prays he’ll beat them to the finish line. History runs its course, then some weeks later, when Boy goes to visit Firpo, he’s gone. He is suddenly struck by the realisation that summer is fleeting and – like his childhood – it is coming to an end.’ (https://courttheatre.org.nz/home/the-end-of-the-golden-weather/)

The play is poignant, and offers up truths pertinent to the present day. The set was perfect, as was the lighting, and effects. Several actors played different characters, from old to young. But two stood out: Ian Mune/narrator and Gregory Cooper/Firpo.

As one reviewer says “..a powerfully insightful and poignant coming-of-age story that every New Zealander should be familiar with.” – John Smythe, https://www.theatreview.org.nz/production/the-end-of-the-golden-weather-7/

And yes, it was a terrific production, and I did find it hard not to introduce myself as the mother of the director, although I let her do the intros many times.

And back home! I left out the bit about another book talk in Wellington, visiting friends and other bits and bobs. However, I’ll let you know about the upcoming talk about my novel at Time Out bookstore in Auckland soon. Nice to talk with you all. Best wishes, Vivienne.