Spotlight on play's cast members

CONTRAST: Paul Keene (left) and Chris McKenzie, motelier and guest. PICTURE / JOAN STREET

MIKE. This week I'll put the spotlight on two of the male members of the cast of Motel, Paul Keene and Chris McKenzie. Paul and I met at Repertory a few years ago, where, after acting in The Importance of Being Earnest, he accepted a role in the pantomime Cinderella, which I directed. Noises Off followed soon after, described by Paul as 'very challenging', where he linked up with Talia Annear-Kjoss and myself, under Joan's direction. A member of the River City Players, Paul was on stage in both Death and Taxes and Bonking James Bond, which means that now, with Motel, he has a hat-trick of April Phillips' plays under his belt.
Chris McKenzie and I first encountered each other on stage - or rather, on grass - in last year's production by Karen Craig of Macbeth at Bason Botanic Gardens, where he gave a powerful performance as Banquo. At Amdram he has had the good fortune to play some iconic roles, such as The Mad Hatter, Ebeneezer Scrooge, Mr Toad and The Cowardly Lion, all well known in the sphere of children's literature. His favourite? Jed Clampett in Beverley Hillbillies. It has been a real pleasure, in rehearsals, watching Chris as The Manager, a somewhat seedy, unprepossessing character. Never have I heard the word 'neat' uttered with such scorn! With Paul playing a travelling salesman, mild and decent, there is an enjoyable contrast between them.
Saturday's rehearsal was a long session at Amdram, finishing at 5pm. We relaxed in the bar afterwards, a warm, comfortable space. Nursing a heavy cold, I felt pleasantly cocooned. Could I tear myself away for the 5.30pm opening at Space? With an effort, yes. And it was well worth the effort! Greeted by the genial Michael Haggie, the presenter of Contemplating the Classical, I was delighted to find myself in the area I enjoy so much, the myths of the Classical World. Divided between oils on canvas and pencil drawings, the brightly coloured subjects, with their piercing eyes and languorous, occasionally lascivious, expressions, brilliantly evoke the world of the Olympian gods. Aphrodite is pictured with her son Cupid, Zeus and his cup bearer, the handsome young Ganymede, Persephone and Eros (the Greek Cupid), as well as a rather pensive Paris, debating on the award of the Golden Apple. Apollo, god of music, is depicted with the satyr Marsyas, who had rashly challenged him to a musical contest, the winner of which could do whatever he liked to the loser. Marsyas lost, with 'dire results', according to the notes. Dire indeed! Marsyas was flayed alive by the victorious and vengeful Apollo!
JOAN. A big audience for a Big Band. Mike and I arrived early for last Sunday's concert at the Sarjeant and found ourselves seated almost at the Gallery doors! The Whanganui musicians who gather together to make up this cool band are well known and respected in the city. They came to entertain us as part of Musicians for the Sarjeant and they will have added greatly to the Gallery's coffers as well as giving great pleasure to their audience. Being small and sitting way back enabled me to only catch glimpses of the players but listening was what it was about. Under the groovy baton of Gavin Herdman, the musicians presented a wide variety of excellently chosen items. Soloists gave their all. Vocalists Denise McNeil and Ash Mayor were delightful as was Roger Brasell, for me a surprise addition to the singers. The Gallery was, as always, welcoming and warm but I wonder if, next time, the Concert Chamber would give everyone a good view and the acoustics value the music even more.
MIKE. We recently spent a weekend in Wellington to celebrate a birthday of one of our granddaughters. A visit to the zoo was mooted, which always appeals to the two little girls. So, annual passes dangling round their necks, they excitedly rushed towards the first inhabitants, otters to the left, capybara to the right. Neither Joan nor I had previously seen the latter, which resembled an overgrown guinea pig. From there, for almost four hours, we strolled along the pathways, admiring the many novel features of this attraction and the various enclosures, which had changed so much since our last visit a decade ago. Lots of space for the animals and very few cages in evidence. The whole area is exceptionally child-friendly, and feeding time talks proved popular with adults and children alike. Watching the interaction of the chimpanzees, as they caught apples thrown by their keeper, certainly impressed the cricket fans present. Meerkats, blue-tongued skinks, lions, giraffes, emus and so many more - all made for a fascinating few hours in a wonderful facility.
A day before our arrival, the Lux Festival had started, a light display centred around City Square, Frank Kitts Park and the waterfront. With the girls in tow, we wandered round the displays by various artists, making our way through large, good-humoured crowds, taking advantage of the clement autumn weather - and a complete lack of wind. The main focus was in City Square itself, where a 15-minute programme, Circus of Light, was projected on to the frontage of the Wellington Council Chambers. But a projection really requires a dark, preferably smooth surface. Unfortunately, the images were broken up by the office windows, several of which still had lights on. Surely a backcloth could have been dropped from the roof for the period of the display? And the banality of the explanatory commentary grated upon the sensibilities, even of children. Rhymes were the order of the day, even if there was no relevance to the subject. Phrases such as 'Here are the jugglers - they're not smugglers' made me wince. So, a positive idea, but with lots of scope for improvement next year.
We stayed at the Trinity Hotel on Willis St, which we can definitely recommend. Compact, clean, warm rooms, with pleasant, helpful staff, and a good bar restaurant, The Arborist. MIKE. Despondent post-script! Congratulations to the Chronicle for the 40th Round the Bridges run last Sunday. I took part in the first one, from Aramoho to the Sports Stadium, when the event was termed the River Run. My pride was saved, unfortunately, by the onset of a heavy cold which made breathing difficult and sapped energy. Twenty years ago I would have ignored it and chanced my arm (Legs?). Not now though! To adapt a famous maxim, ' Commonsense is the better part of valour'. Roll on 2018's event!
mjstreet@xtra.co.nz