Young Whangārei cast to revive World War II play

The cast of The Willing Horse, which is part of the Whangārei Fringe Festival.

A play written by a successful New Zealand playwright during World War II has been revived in Whangārei, giving insight into pre-feminism life of the 1940s to both its audience and actresses.

The Willing Horse is set in the kitchen of a community hall at a Saturday night dance and offers a comedic, poignant glimpse into the lives of women in small-town New Zealand.

Staff and students at Whangārei Girls' High School (WGHS) discovered the play, written by Isobel Andrews and published as the highlight play of the 1940s. As a result, two teachers and eight students are bringing the play back to life for the Whangārei Fringe Festival.

Andrews was a prolific writer of plays, poems and film scripts, as well as short stories and radio reviews for the New Zealand Listener and lived for a decade in Whangārei. She wrote the play during World War II when there were few men around to help take women's minds off the war so it features an all-women cast ... and some surprising ideologies for its fresh, new cast.

WGHS student and actress Aimee Clemow said it was interesting to be performing the play in a modern society where feminism has changed so much for women.

"The play has given me a huge insight into the lives of women in the 1940s. I have realised that they really had hardly any options other than to be a mother and a wife. Even though these are both things I would love to become, I am so thankful that I also have the option of pursuing a career in something I enjoy.

"It has given me much more insight into the lives of my grandmothers, as I now know about the society they grew up in and the expectations within it."

Co-star Ruby Dickinson-Yeoman agreed there were far more social constraints for women then.

"Women were still expected to run the home and become a wife. While the feminist movement was building in relation to the war and women's' new roles, women's' rights still had a long way to go.

"I thought it was really crazy, but very of that era, that the whole play's discussion points are mainly to do with pining for a man's attention and the matter of attaining a husband. That kind of story just wouldn't be written in contemporary society, I think that's why it's so unique.

"There's definitely a feeling of camaraderie between the women who are preparing the food, in the sense that they look out for each other, and help each other with their problems. A few of the young characters in the play express their hopes for marrying well and wishing to be a good wife. Those things are not nearly as important now."

The story centres around spinster Kate Wilkes, who stands in the kitchen of a local hall at a Saturday night dance buttering bread and playing Cupid for her younger friend.

Said Ruby: "I suppose that if I had been born in that time period, I would be more accustomed to the roles placed on women and girls, but that doesn't mean I'd agree with them. However, if I was magically transported there now, I'd hate it. Very little freedom to do as you please, your whole life would revolve around a man and their household, all of the many rights I'd had previously would be gone.''

In 1951, Andrews moved with her family to Whangārei, where she joined the Whangārei Repertory Society, later becoming its president, and contributed short stories and radio reviews to the NZ Listener. She was an early member of the Northland Women Writers' Group and joint editor of its publication, Northland: A Regional Magazine, from its first issue in 1958 until she resigned in 1960.

The 2020 version of her play is co-directed by professional actresses and WGHS drama and English teachers Jan Fisher and Liz Sugrue respectively, who both star in the show, alongside the eight students.

The Willing Horse debuts tonight at ONEONESIX from 6-7pm and again tomorrow and Thursday nights. Go to: www.whangareifringe.co.nz for further details.