1. REVIEW: Audience left wanting more
Black Box Theatre Company's maiden play Pack of Girls is hilarious.
Directed by Sarah Boon, the show is laugh-out-loud funny. In fact it's grab-your-stomach-
because-you're-laughing-too-hard funny.
On opening night the audience laughed so loud some of the lines couldn't be heard and the
crowd got so into cheering the team that it was just like a real rural rugby game.
The fact-paced play written by David Geary follows Ruawai rugby "widow" Pam (played by
Alisa Dodds) who is fed up with the inattention of her husband Tom (Craig Robertson), who
is still nursing a dream of making the Northland side.
Pam decides to set up an all-girls seven-a-side rugby team, enticing a motley crew include
drunken Maori widow Hazel (played by Kim Anderson), the fully-pregnant solo mum DPB
(Jo Thomas), the shy weight-conscious Carol (Gayle Dowsett), positive Trish (Tania Lewis)
and OTT fashion-conscious Lucy (Liz Sugrue).
Along with great one-liners, appropriate slow-mos and real-life good ball skills, the play
develops enough character and plot to make for an enjoyable show.
All of the characters are just like friends or people I know which means the acting, the
directing and the script-writing are all excellent.
I would hate to single any of the actors out - even the two out-numbered blokes were great,
with Richard Johnston playing Harry.
The actors not only risked balls to the head but wore some skimpy costumes and exposed a
few butt cracks.
The play has some very funny moments, with my personal favourite being the girls'
completely over-the-top and premature victory dance after their first try. I wish I could dance
like that.
My only disappointment with Pack of Girls was that it was over far too quickly and I was left
wanting more - more of the characters that I had quickly grown to love, more of the hilarious
dancing and more of the fabulous quick wit.
Hopefully Northland's first professional theatre company will be producing more in the very
near future.
- Denise Piper (Fairfax Media)