Written & Directed by Owen Mooney
Starring Janine Swainson, Jared Wooldridge, Isabella Falconer & Nick Hall
Jason (Jared Wooldridge) and Louisa (Janine Swainson) return from a work party a little worse for wear. To Jason’s horror and dismay, an inebriated Louisa has invited his uptight work colleague Gabriel (Nick Hall) and wife Jessica (Isabella Falconer) to stay for the night before their return to Wellington. Add alcohol, unresolved trauma and ongoing conflicts in both marriages, and voila, an awkward night of having guests and being a guest ensues.
Local thespian Owen Mooney began writing One Night In Lockdown in August 2021 when New Zealand was thrust into Level 4.
For an initial outing, the play had many merits. The direction, set design and props, lighting and sound were superb. Swainson was a standout and portrayed complex Louisa with gusto, fragility, humour and despair. Wooldridge’s Jason was interesting in that the script did not take him where one expected, so this gave him to opportunity to really delve into the nuances of a man whose views on life and its challenges was rather unusual.
Mooney excels at humour. The one-liners were well-timed and the delivery by the actors was well-paced. Another of Mooney’s fortes is history. The Edwin Fox Ship, Captain Hamilton, and the Angel of Grief sculpture all got mentions. These mini history lessons were a welcome reprieve from the often harrowing backstories.
The content warning mentioned coarse language and references to sexual violence and suicide. Sprinkled throughout was infidelity, drug taking, BDSM, accidental death and grief. Hats off to Mooney for exploring these themes, as uncomfortable as they were.
I would enjoy seeing this work shortened to one act, and some of the themes trimmed or removed.
Congratulations to Mooney and Our Theatre Company for this courageous, contemporary play. While many struggled through the lockdowns, others put their time to great use, and One Night In Lockdown is such an example.
The programme gave the opportunity for the actors to name their favourite line from the play. Just as an aside, mine was “We live in a city named after a wanker.”
Image: Tony Mckay
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