Review: Foxton Little Theatre’s Up the Guts is World Cup worthy

Sonya Enoka, Leighton Briggs (centre) and Waynne Napier star in Foxton Little Theatre's production of Up The Guts.

Up The Guts

Directed by Carl Terry

Written by Tim Hambleton

Foxton Little Theatre until April 20

Reviewed by Judith Lacy

Regular readers of my reviews of Foxton Little Theatre productions probably tire of me nearly always awarding bonus points.

But it is not just me. Christchurch playwright Tim Hambleton is a fan too and he chose the theatre for the premiere of his latest play Up The Guts.

The comedy is set in present-day Southland where Cromwell is the big smoke. It is 26 years since Valley Rugby Club won the championship and it is struggling to put a team on the field.

I haven’t come across Leighton Briggs before but what a find. His facial expressions, twinkly eyes, stage presence and concentration all made Roger come alive. Roger is impressive on the field but his personal life needs some tackling.

Briggs has the hardest scene of the play, a conversation that wasn’t a conversation with his girlfriend Lisa (Kiana White). That scene must have taken some serious practice to deliver with such impeccable timing.

I also hadn’t seen Sonya Enoka before. It’s hard to play dumb but she manages it superbly. She plays Chastity, who is roped into being the mental skills coach for the Valley team coached by her grandfather Stan (Carl Terry). Chastity wants to be an influencer or a doctor but nothing can get in the way of her beauty therapy appointments.

Coincidentally, Enoka’s great-uncle is former All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka.

There is not enough ink in a playwright’s quill to describe what a legend Terry is. I’ll go for indefatigable. His love of theatre continues to inspire newcomers.

Father and son Waynne Napier and Navah Champan return to the stage. Napier plays Bruce, a council employee who isn’t sure what his job is, while Chapman is Martin, a young lawyer new to town.

Father and son also starred in Foxton Little Theatre’s brilliant production of On the Right Track, another Hambelton play. He is also a lawyer, working as a senior police prosecutor.

Up The Guts tells the story of the struggling Valley Rugby Club. Some of the cast of Foxton Little Theatre's production are (from left) Carolyn Allan, Carl Terry, Sonya Enoka, Waynne Napier and Kiana White.

Analise Berry plays Andrea, a property developer who wants to build a “continuing care resort” on the Valley’s home ground. Berry brought more dimensions to her character as the evening went on.

Carolyn Allan usually runs an entertaining and efficient front of house but this time is on stage as Raewyn, who can be found in the clubroom kitchen. She has a touching, highly believable scene with Stan. Well done to the two young women from Manawatū College who volunteered to help with front-of-house duties on opening night.

Up The Guts is packed with funny lines and heartful moments. The sexual innuendo - delivered under the guise of rugby talk - is clever, not smutty.

Sixteen scenes is too many - more like what you would expect in a TV comedy.

The three virtually non-speaking parts - played by Nathan Webb, Lachlan Marks and Hokowhitu Tamati - needed more raison d’etre. It wasn’t like they were needed to make up a playing XV.

However, the roles provide a perfect introduction for theatre newcomers.

The costumes, set and music add to the storytelling.

Foxton wins far more productions than it loses and this is World Cup worthy.

Judith Lacy has been the editor of the Manawatū Guardian since December 2020. She graduated from journalism school in 2001 and this is her second role editing a community paper.