Writer: James Cain
Starring: Mandy Faulkner, Fiona Sneyd, Julianne Boyle and Brad Jackson
Stage Manager: Missy Mooney
Director: Gaye Poole
Producer: Carving in Ice Theatre
Riverlea Theatre
22-23 August 2024
Here’s an interesting offer for you to consider – a staged reading of James Cain’s “The Coven on Grey Street.” The difference between a staged reading and a performance is that the actors have scripts. Furthermore, this type of production is pared back so doesn’t include all those expenses that come with building a set, sourcing and creating extravagant props, employing major theatrical tricks, or adding various designers to the mix.
The Coven on Grey Street is about the events that follow when the now Hamilton-based Weird sisters (Macbeth, anyone?) get together for Daphne’s marriage to Shakespearean scholar, Ted. The play stars Mandy Faulkner (Daphne), Fiona Sneyd (Sybil), Julianne Boyle (Day), and Brad Jackson (Ted).
Faulkner, Sneyd and Boyle are familiar faces from Carving in Ice Theatre. They have worked together in various configurations for years and the result is their complete trust in each other as performers. All three could have played any of the quite different roles, and the resulting sibling rivalry, conflict, bickering, acceptance and love would have been just as compelling. Jackson is a relative newcomer to the stage and showed some great versatility particularly in Act 2. Missy Mooney assuredly read stage directions to help guide the action.
The Coven on Grey Street premiered in Wellington last year, and this production is the second outing (and first time it has been licensed) of the play. Writer James Cain included a lot of nods to Kirikiriroa, a clever reworking of aspects of Macbeth, some unexpected twists, and scattered many laughs throughout.
Gaye Poole’s instinct for casting and inventive way of bringing works to the stage knows no bounds. The Coven on Grey Street is a superb choice as it showcases a New Zealand writer and provides opportunities for a mature cast. Poole’s direction and the symbolic set ensured the play well-paced and uncomplicated.
A staged reading is an astute way of producing theatre resulting in lower ticket prices and therefore making it more accessible. Although the actors have scripts to refer to if needed, they are secondary to the performance and the actors are able to maintain genuine connections with credible dialogue.
With a running time of 95 minutes including intermission and tickets no more than $16, the staged reading of The Coven on Grey Street is a must-see for anyone who has siblings but also for enthusiasts of Shakespeare, wahine toa, witchcraft, and/or comedy.
Postscript: I did a Shakespeare paper in my first year at Waikato Uni. Can’t remember much about it but still have all my notated copies of the plays. Tempted to dust them off. No, I didn’t finish that degree. Yes, finished another degree overseas (sans Shakespeare).
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