Jean Pierre (Carl Terry) and Mary Harvey (Carolyn O'Fallon) on stage at Foxton Little Theatre in ‘Twas the fight before Christmas.
Jean Pierre (Carl Terry) and Mary Harvey (Carolyn O'Fallon) on stage at Foxton Little Theatre in ‘Twas the fight before Christmas.
Foxton actor Carl Terry swears he’s completely sober the whole time while playing a wine-swilling French psychologist in Foxton Little Theatre’s latest play.
It’s just that the 76-year-old is so convincing in the demanding role of the thirsty Jean Pierre in ‘Twas The Fight Before Christmas that questions had to be asked.
How do you remember your lines? What’s in the bottle?
[Spoiler alert] “It’s only blackcurrent juice,” he said.
“There’s one rule - never drink on stage. It’s one rule you should not break.”
Carolyn O'Fallon, Emily Pond and Carl Terry on stage at Foxton Little Theatre for 'Twas The Fight Before Christmas.
Terry said in more than 50 years of involvement with community theatre, which began as a student at Manawatū College, he’d never broken that rule.
You couldn’t afford to be off your game anyway. Of the countless role’s he’d played over the years, he said the role of Jean Pierre was one of the most demanding.
Not that you’d suspect. He’s so good he gives off an Anthony Hopkins vibe.
“You’re playing a Frenchman so you can’t let the accent slip. The advancing years doesn’t help,” he said.
Terry took to theatre in his late teens as a foundation student of that school and enjoyed it so much he’s never lost that passion and has never been far from the stage ever since.
“The bug bit me. There was no history in the family of theatrical endeavour at all. I just enjoyed it,” he said.
“It kept me off the streets, so to speak.”
Throughout his working life with Radio NZ he moved around the country ... Palmerston North, Masterton, Invercargill, Wellington, Auckland, Dunedin ... joining local theatre groups wherever he went.
Back home in Foxton he was president of Foxton Little Theatre, who put on plays in the oldest building still in use in Foxton - built as a church in 1867.
Foxton Little Theatre was established in 1949 and Terry said it was important that, like all organisations, that one eye was kept on the future.
“There are more and more soulless pursuits distracting young people these days. It doesn’t bode well for the future of humanity,” he said.
He praised the entire cast of ‘Twas for their efforts - Mary (Carolyn O’Fallon), Ivy (Angela Jones), Ananda (Kiana White, Stella (Emily Pond) and Desmond (Nathan Webb), and the entire production team.
Each pulled off their respective characters well, with O’Fallon also managing to deliver a challenging number of lines without any noticeable hiccup.
