Richard Hamblett hasn't always been a mystery man, but he has led a varied life. Born in Dunedin and raised in Christchurch, he attended university at Lincoln College, Victoria University in Wellington and the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
He once told me he'd sailed a lot so I asked him about his sailing days. "I had the sailboat for about 25 years. It was based in Wellington so I mainly sailed in Wellington Harbour and around the sounds. I lived on it sometimes." It sounds idyllic, but wasn't it cold in the winter? "No, I was quite comfortable living on the boat," Richard says.
Until recently Richard was farming at Okoia, but has made the move into town where he's rehearsing his role as Underwood in The Lady in the Van.
Who is Underwood?
Now that's a bit of a mystery. "He behaves in a very sly, underhand manner", Richard says. "He knows something about Miss Shepherd's past and he sometimes hangs around her van."
Why? What does he want?
Let's go to Repertory Theatre and find out. The Lady in the Van opens on Thursday, August 25, at 7.30pm, with performances on August 26 and 27. There's a 2pm matinee on Sunday, August 28. Further performances are on September 1, 2 and 3.
This is a sad/funny play about real people with real problems and real kindness. I'm looking forward to it.
