I would like to acknowledge James McNeishs novel
Lovelock (Hodder and Stoughton, 1986) as being the inspiration for the Otto Peltzer Theory and the Cabaret Scene, both of which form part of
LovelocksDreamRun. For anyone interested in further information on the life of Jack Lovelock, I strongly recommend this novel and also James McNeishs collection of prose,
TheManfromNowhere (Godwit Press, 1991). Many thanks to Alison Quigan, Centrepoint Theatre, and to the QE II Arts Council for commissioning the play. Mick Rose and Tim Spite for script editing. Stephen Danby for playing me These Foolish Things. Bruce Leadley and Timaru Boys High School for access to the Lovelock collection. And the Alexander Turnbull Library for the archive material and slides.
Finally, thanks to Playmarket for workshopping the play at the 1992 Australasian Playwrights Conference. The plays success owes much to the workshop director, Lisa Warrington, and dramaturg, Murray Edmond. It was with their much appreciated help, and the considerable talents of the cast below, that LovelocksDreamRun was first realised.
J ACK L OVELOCK | James Beaumont |
H OWARD C URTIS | Timothy Balme |
N ICK H URIWAI | Hone Kouka |
P IKE | Stuart Devenie |
H EAD | Nathaniel Lees |
S ILVERS | Lani Tupu |
M ATRON | Hilary Norris |
Directed by Lisa Warrington Dramaturg, Murray Edmond
LovelocksDreamRun was premiered at the Watershed Theatre by the Auckland Theatre Company on 11 March 1993 with the following cast:
J ACK L OVELOCK | Robert Pollock |
H OWARD C URTIS | Damon Andrews |
N ICK H URIWAI | Hone Kouka |
P IKE | Bruce Hopkins |
H EAD | Michael Mizrahi |
S ILVERS | Erik Thomson |
M ATRON | Patrick Griffiths |
Directed by Raymond Hawthorne
The physical set should be relatively neutral, so that a few simple set units and props can establish each new setting. Costumes, too, need only suggest the identity of the several characters played by each actor. The exception is Jack Lovelock, who should be in period dress.
The slides should be projected on a screen above or behind the action. It is indicated where the slides should come in but up to each production whether they stay up or it reverts to a blank screen. The play should never lose as one of its levels of reality the sense of a bunch of schoolboys putting on a play.
- J ACK L OVELOCK
- H OWARD C URTIS / O TTO P ELTZER / L ENI R IEFENSTAHL / C UNNINGHAM 2 / J EAN B ATTEN
- N ICK H URIWAI / R EPORTER 3 / J AZZ S INGER / C AMERAMAN / L UIGI B ECCALI / K IDDIE
- P IKE / F RITZ / R EPORTER 2 / K IDDIE / K EENE
- H ITLER / H ANS / R EPORTER 4 / T HE H EAD / C ABARET P ATRON / C HUBBS / C AMPBELL / N Y / D IGNITARY / K IDDIE / W ALTER 1
- S ILVERS / C UNNINGHAM 1 / C ECIL M ATTHEWS / R EPORTER 1 / C ABARET P ATRON / N OLAN / S TARTER / H AROLD A BRAHAMS / K IDDIE / W ALTER 2
- P IT R AKER / H ELGA / C ABARET P ATRON / A UTOGRAPH H UNTER / M ATRON / G REEN / K LAUS / C ORNES / R EPORTER 5 / K IDDIE / A LICE
1a-e. | Jacks smiles |
2. | Lovelocks Oakclose up |
3. | Lovelocks Oakwide shot |
4. | Lovelock Prefab |
5a. | Torch leaves Olympia |
5b. | Torch in street |
5c. | Torch lights Olympic flame |
5d. | Aerial of stadium |
5e. | Marchpast on straight |
5f. | Marchpast on corner |
6. | Stadium crowd doing Nazi salute |
7. | Jack and the flag |
8. | Howard and Nicks cubicle |
9. | Jack beats Bonthron with a smile |
10. | Memorial Library |
11. | Medal case |
12. | Winners dais |
13. | Backstreet Berlin |
14. | Interior of Berlin cabaret |
15. | Otto Peltzer |
16a-e. | Jesse Owens |
17. | 1930s film studio |
18. | Leni Riefenstahl and Adolf Hitler |
I9a-e. | TriumphoftheWill stills |
20a-e. | Olympia stills |
21. | Christs College quad |
22. | Worcester St punts for hire |
23. | Chartered bus |
24a-e. | Race stills |
25. | Railway station |
26. | Auckland welcome |
27. | San Romani wins |
28. | Hamilton |
29. | Waitomo |
30. | New Plymouth |
31a-b. | Jean Batten |
32a-b. | Jean at Mangere |
33. | Jack and Jean cartoon |
34. | Desert Road |
35a-c. | Jack courting |
36. | Jack, Cynthia and baby |
37. | The laughing loser |
38. | Old Boys |
Slides 1a-e:Jackssmiles, alternate.Musicfromtheshowplays,ie:TheseFoolishThings,thethemeto Brideshead Revisited,
Deutschland,GodSavetheKingandtheMarseillaise.Slide2:LovelocksOakcloseup. H OWARD
iswearingaperfectlyfittingBoysHighSchoolsummeruniform.HesingstohimselfpartofTheseFoolishThingswhilepickingupacornsandputtingthemina bucket. H OWARD : Oh will you never let me be Oh will you never set me free The ties that bound us are all around us
Slide 1a: Jacks smile Theres no escape that I can see.
Pause. These foolish things remind me of you.
To audience: Its a charming smile, dont you think?
Pause. Hmm?
Pause. Well, I think its charming.
I used to walk around Intermediate imitating Jacks smile. Hestrollsaroundwithafixedgrinacknowledgingimaginarypeople.Wideningthegrinwithhisfingers: Course other kids thought I was mental. But people thinking I was mental wasnt exactly news. Slide2:LovelocksOakcloseup.Araggedgroupofthirdformersentermarchingbadly.Theyareharanguedbyaprefect, P IKE . P IKE : Keep your dressing! Somethirdformerschecktheirdressingandlose time. But stay in step! Left, left, left, right, left. Left N ICK stillcant getin step. Dont get up his bum.
You, whats your handle? Pause. Whats your handle? N ICK : I havent got a handle. P IKE : Your name, have you got a name? N ICK : Nick. P IKE : No, your second name?
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