Palmerston North youth development theatre company to perform The End of the Golden Weather

Abby Matthews (left), Blake Knight and Cameron McPherson are members of the Basement Company.

In September, the Basement Company is performing the legendary New Zealand play The End of the Golden Weather by Bruce Mason. In the lead-up to this play about innocence, childhood and growing up in small-town New Zealand, we are profiling three Centrepoint Theatre youth company members each week.

Blake Knight

Blake, 20, is in their second year of Basement and enjoys the community it creates. For The End of the Golden Weather Blake is stepping into a costume design and creation role but loves that the play is so timeless even if it was not written that way.

They hope one day they will get to do the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street because this is what got them into doing live theatre.

Abby Matthews

“There are a lot of things that inspire me to do theatre, but the biggest one is being able to escape my life and be able to play different characters,” the 17-year-old says.

“It gives me so much confidence and I will always do theatre.” Abby says the play is “one of the most well-put-together shows I have ever seen”. She loves that it shows a slice of how New Zealand was and how much it has changed. Abby enjoys exploring new characters.

Cameron McPherson

“I am inspired to do theatre because it allows me to express myself in many ways I wouldn’t usually exert into my own reality,” the 19-year-old says. “For me, theatre is freeing, I can let go on stage because I only show a fraction of who I am without feeling judged for it. In some ways performing on stage feels like less pressure on me.

“The reason for this is that when I’m playing a character, I am learning a new part of myself which I find really refreshing.”

Cameron hopes to play Velma Kelly or Roxy Hart in Chicago because the characters are challenging.

The Details

What: The End of the Golden Weather

When: September 7-9, 7.30pm

Where: Centrepoint Theatre

Tickets: centrepoint.co.nz or phone 06 354 5740.