I once asked a friend if the first-five was five people or just one, so I hope you will take this as a disclaimer that I don’t know anything about rugby but still enjoyed a production which revolves around the ‘backstage’ of a rugby field.

Written by Joshua Baty and directed by Dawn Glover, BALLS uses our national game to examine masculinity in New Zealand. We follow the dynamic of team mates Brock, Toast, James, Carlos and Abel and witness the highs and lows of their friendships as they build up to their final game. 

Deep rolling drums, played by the live musician Richard, welcome the audience into the dimly lit theatre, where we have an intimate view of a locker room. Abel, played by Joseph Nathan, begins with an Elizabethan-style prologue that introduces rugby as “a raging battle of a different kind,” full of “blood lust” and intolerant to weakness.

The set is simple and offers a window into changing room antics. Richard’s energetic drumming embodies the rugby games that occur between scenes and aptly mirrors the clashes of the off stage action. A clever directorial decision.

I am not prepared for the F-bomb to be dropped every second word but I am reassured by my coaching friend that this kind of language is a realistic reflection of what goes on in rugby clubs throughout our country. I can see their egos swerve, duck and lash out, as they tell funny anecdotes that point out each other’s flaws and victories.

The most complicated dynamic is the one between Toast the paramedic, played by Taylor Griffin, and Brock the rugby-head, played by Jack Barry, who is about to leave the team to train with the academy. Both are high achievers in their respective fields; neither is the hero nor the villain.  

Hyper masculine and hard-headed Brock’s ego drowns the other characters which is the main issue in the play. Creating an anti-hero requires positive qualities but Brock from the outset is distant and difficult to sympathise with. Brock shows a man’s struggle to reveal pain and emotion for fear of being seen as weak. However his lack of emotional control and self-knowledge makes his weaknesses even more obvious to the audience. It takes a knock to the head for his true motives to be revealed. 

James, played by Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson, provides hilarious comedic relief but also represents the creative types who navigate a ‘manly’, homophobic rugby culture that perceives performing arts as a feminine expression. He is not gay however and draws attention to the lack of stories that focus solely on men as men, negotiating a narrow and fixed idea of masculinity.

The only female character, Miryam Jacobi, is insultingly unnamed and is an accurate reflection of society’s attitude towards women in sport. Jacobi holds her own as ‘Girl’ and is equally, if not more powerful when she challenges Brock head on.

The realistic physical violence in the intimacy of Te Pou Theatre is intense and at times difficult to watch. The small changing room set sometimes feels too small and the actors may have benefited from a larger space so their movements are more fluid.

There are outstanding and passionate performances by each of the cast, to the extent that the individual character development overshadows the storyline. The dedication of each actor to their craft is incredible to watch and Barry’s ability to embody physical injury is painful to look at (in good way.) 

Go and see BALLS whether you love rugby or hate it. It offers an insight into the off-field culture that isn’t often explored in media. It is a pleasure to see fresh new talent with fire in their belly’s and the passion to make their mark on theatre in Aotearoa.

Finally, to answer Abel: “glory lasts but a day… was it worth your labouring and toils?”

I say yes. 

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