A creative former east Auckland school pupil is one of the key people behind a play about a cat that causes mayhem when it seemingly returns from the dead.
Isla Macleod, who attended Macleans College, is the director and co-producer of the play WINK.
It’s staged at Basement Theatre in central Auckland from June 11-15 and tells the story of a dissatisfied housewife whose suburban dream is “clawed apart” when her cat Wink goes missing.
“Her breadwinning husband has grown emotionally distant because he secretly skinned Wink.
“The couple’s lonely therapist toils to restore equilibrium to their lives, but everything is upended when Wink comes back looking for revenge.”
Macleod says she was approached by the production’s other co-producer, Esaú Mora, at the start of the year and asked to direct a play he was putting up.
“Esaú is friends with New York playwright Jen Silverman, who’s about to have her Broadway debut with a different play, and has been actively working on getting her plays programmed in New Zealand.
“This is the New Zealand premiere of her work.
“I’ve been rehearsing part-time with the cast of four since March which has been equal parts invigorating and challenging.
“It’s been a gift to see the work come to life at the hands of such skilled and experienced actors.”
Macleod credits the two production companies behind the work, Hekerua Bay Productions and A Moral Tale.
She says the play will appeal to anyone who’s after a good night out.
“It’s a dark comedy and the playwright is wickedly funny, but it’s also tender in parts and incredibly moving.
“It straddles naturalistic performance in an absurd theatrical setting which is cathartic to watch.
“And the play only runs for 75 minutes with no interval so it’s a real headlong plunge.”
The story plays with people’s capacity for chaos and questions “why we change who we are in order to seek love”, Macleod says.
“In today’s world that seems to grow more alienated by the second, this story is a thirst-quenching antidote to loneliness.”
Tickets to WINK can be purchased online at https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2024/jun/wink.
- The Times has a double pass to the play at 8pm on Thursday, June 13, to give away. To enter, send an email with your name, phone number and home address to info@times.co.nz by midday on Wednesday, June 12.
