No matter how badly you play, it’s always possible to get worse.

Despite spending most of his retirement on the golf course, Bill’s days of early mornings, lessons from an over-priced South African, weekly rounds with pompous brother-in-laws, and copious amounts of painkillers are over… because Bill needs a new knee. But before his operation, Bill is determined to break a hundred, something he has never done before, and is not likely to do again.

Even if you’ve never played the game, the world premiere of Roger Hall‘s latest comedy Golf: A Love Story, starring Stuart Devenie, promises a classic night out at the theatre. 

Centrepoint Theatre with support from our Major Funders and Sponsors, and by arrangement with Playmarket, is proud to present the world premiere of GOLF: A LOVE STORY, a brand new comedy by Roger Hall.

We are privileged to be premiering this sure to comedic tour-de-force by New Zealand’s most successful playwright, Roger Hall. Hall’s successful career spans over 4 decades, with highlights including to TV series Pukemanu, Gliding On, Conjugal Rites and Spin Doctors; plays including Middle Age Spread, Four Flat Whites in Italy, A Shortcut to Happiness, musicals such as You Can Always Hand Them Back (premiered by Centrepoint), and multiple awards and titles including QSO and CNZM.

Of GOLF: A LOVE STORY Hall says:

What appealed to me was the one-man confessional type story along the lines of C’Mon Black—someone describing their passions, fears, hopes, despair…and the occasional moment of exhilaration.

I’m not a regular golfer, I play nine holes about once a week in the summer, but even this gives me enough to understand how addictive it is. It is such a challenge, always changing, and usually in lovely surroundings. It’s often said that ‘Golf is a good walk spoiled’. Not true: it’s a good walk made more interesting by having to hit a golf ball along the way…

Of course, I hope it will appeal to golfers. Two very good golfers saw the read-through and really enjoyed it and I said to them I thought they wouldn’t like it because the character is such a bad golfer. ‘Ah,’ they said, ‘but we’ve all been there’. 

But I also hope it will appeal to those who have never played golf. In the end it’s a story about a man late in his life trying to achieve a lifetime ambition. And we’ve all been there, too.

From script to stage…

Tasked with bringing Hall’s one-man comedy to life on the Centrepoint stage is another famous name in New Zealand, Stuart Devenie.

With a career spanning over 3 decades it’s hard not to have heard of Devenie. Film, television, and theatre acting highlights include Shortland Street, Hercules, Jack-of-all-Trades, Mercy Peak, The Pohutukawa Tree, The Talented Mr Ripley, and Peter Jackson’s Braindead. 

Devenie’s talents lie not only in acting. From 1984-1985 he was the Artistic Director of our very own theatre, and from 1985-1994 he was a senior tutor at Toi Whakaari and Head of Acting at Whangarei Polytechnic, the latter of which saw him direct several groundbreaking productions. 

Devenie has taught numerous workshops for primary and secondary students, and has also served as Consulting Acting Tutor on Shortland Street. Devenie is also one of the top voice-over artists in New Zealand, with lead roles in many radio dramas and voicing top brand campaigns for radio, television and cinema.

Rounding out this trio is our very own Artistic Director, Jeff Kingsford-Brown. No doubt you will be familiar with Jeff’s acting, singing and directing credentials that span three decades of working as a theatre professional in New Zealand and overseas. 

Jeff first worked as a theatre professional at Centrepoint Theatre in 1984, fresh out of drama school, joining the permanent company under the artistic direction of none other than Stuart Devenie. 

Since then Jeff has studied theatre direction in the UK, performed and directed works at The Court, Downstage, Circa, Fortune, BATS, and St James; and was in the cast of the New Zealand tours of The Secret Garden, The Rocky Horror Show, Nutcrackers, and Phantom of the Opera. 

Of GOLF: A LOVE STORY Jeff says:

I love the way Roger exposes the obsessions, hopes and dreams that lie just beneath the surface of our everyday lives. He has such a great eye (and ear) for those quiet, seemingly inconsequential moments – the little tragedies and triumphs that might pass by unnoticed in lesser hands than Roger’s. It’s the small stuff that matters! (Plus, I love the synthesis of sport and theatre – can’t wait for someone to take on the Team New Zealand story!)

SHOWS TIMES:
GOLF: A LOVE STORY opens on
Saturday 18^th April 2015 and runs until Saturday 23rd May 2015.

Performances run Wednesday 6.30pm; Thursday – Saturday 8pm; Sundays 5pm.
$20 Tuesday show: 14th April 2015 – tickets for this performance on sale Monday 13th April 9am
Please note there is no performance on Sunday 12th April

TICKETS: to book please contact Vanessa Barnes, Box Office Manager & Marketing Assistant on 06 354 5740 or centrepoint@centrepoint.co.nz
$38 Adults | $33 Groups of 10+ | $30 Seniors
$30 Under 30’s | $28 Community Service Card Holders
$18 Students | $68 Dinner & Show 

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