New Comedy LE SUD Runs 8/5 Thru 8/22 At The Downstage Theatre

The South Island run by the French? Quelle Horreur! LE SUD, a new comedy by Dave Armstrong imagines what might have been, runs August 5 through 22.

In the late 1830s the South Island came close to being colonised by the French, with a large French settlement in Akaroa and negotiations to purchase more land from local Iwi.

Le Sud, a new comedy by award-winning writer Dave Armstrong (Niu Sila, The Tutor, King and Country and Kia Ora Khalid) imagines what might have happened if the French succeeded, splitting New Zealand into separate countries.

The French-colonized South Island (Le Sud) adheres to the typical French way of life: people only work 30 hours a week, enjoy long wine-fuelled lunches, and the popular Prime Minister, Francois Duvauchelle, is a renowned womaniser.

The English-speaking citizens of the North Island (North Zealand) are far less happy. North Zealanders work long hours for little reward, their free-market experiment ended in disaster and race relations are at rock bottom. Starved of much-needed electricity, North Zealand lives in permanent recession.

Le Sud is the story of a delegation from North Zealand traveling to Le Sud to negotiate for the supply of electricity. What follows is a hilarious series of plots, power plays, cultural clashes, and sexual shenanigans which sees Dave Armstrong manage to poke fun at almost all our sacred political, sporting, religious, sexual, racial and cultural values.

Commissioned by Wanaka's Festival of Colour, Le Sud had its world premiere in May 2009. Wanaka turned French for the sold-out season with many local businesses putting up French decorations and restaurants adopting French menus. In Wellington, Downstage theatre will be linking in with Alliance Francaise and other French businesses to help involve Wellington's vibrant French community.

Starring Gavin Rutherford, Nick Dunbar, Mark Ruka, Heather O'Carroll, Olivia Robinson and Barnaby Frederic. Directed by Conrad Newport.

At 6:30pm Tue-Wed and 8pm Thu-Sat. Tickets are $25 to $45. Meet the Artists is on Tue 11 Aug. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at (04) 801 6946 or in person at Downstage's box office. For up-to-date information visit www.downstage.co.nz. Downstage is proudly sponsored by BNZ.

Wellington writer Dave Armstrong has written extensively for screen and stage. He won Best New New Zealand Play three times at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for The Tutor and Niu Sila (co-written with Oscar Knightley) and where we once belonged. His musical play King and Country won best dramatic production in the 2008 New Zealand Radio Awards. Dave's television credits include Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby and Bro'town.

 

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