Editorial: A class act indeed

Joanna Wallis

CONGRATULATIONS to Whanganui High School for taking out the top prize in the country's top secondary school drama competition.

The school's production, 29 Below, about the Pike River mine disaster, won the national 2016 Stage Challenge this week.

As the headline said -- a class act. A confession -- on first hearing the school was tackling the 2010 mine explosion, I thought it was a bit dubious. But the manner in which the production dealt with the deaths, as well as the performance and staging's intrinsic value, brought applause from the judges.

One said the school's "confident, confrontational and powerful performance" would have left an audience "incredibly moved."

29 Below's choreographers said they put a lot of thought into how they covered the sensitive subject of a mining disaster. They also said they wanted to add some "quirkiness and fun." Somehow they managed to mix the two elements and produce a production that was called a "touching tribute."

In an arts town it's good to see younger generations, and the dramatic arts, performing so well. Stage Challenge is a hard-fought, theatrical tussle with 14,000 participants from 180 schools.

The excitement of winning the big award was summed up by the photo on the front of yesterday's paper -- which included some kids hanging from trees. The joy was palpable. The students' production was based on a stark premise: that a canary would have been more use in the mine than all the technology the workers at Pike River relied on.

It would be intriguing to know what the people of the Greymouth think of the production. Possibly they will simply be pleased their loved ones have not been forgotten, as well as given such a well executed and well received memorial. It would be fitting for the production to be shown again in Whanganui, and maybe -- though this would probably be logistically and financially improbable -- taken to the West Coast. However, it can be watched on YouTube.