PHOTO ESSAY
'Bird-Dog'
This year's Level One production, an homage to children's detective novels like 'Nancy Drew' and 'Friday Barnes, Girl Detective', foregrounds the comedic antics of teenage detectives against the backdrop of a murder mystery in small-town New Zealand.
It's hard to get away with murder, even more so when you live in Matakana, the small rural town just north of Warkworth famous for its weekend markets and vineyards. Oh yes, did I mention it's small? Its population lies just below 500 residents. As Marama (played by Ayushi Asthana) astutely noted, it's a town where "everyone knows everyone."
When the school librarian is found dead, residents--and the goofy, incompetent local police officer (Danni Sharkey)--are stumped. They are so stumped that it's up to best friends Marama and Clementine (Naomi Chileshe) to catch the culprit.
In true children's detective novel fashion, they interview their (few, very few) classmates and seek advice from their wise but mildly eccentric neighbour, Miss Lola (Ma'a Pau'u). Eventually, they piece together a startling find that shakes the town to the core.
Matakana simply can't afford to have any more murders. Soon, there'll be no one left.
The original story was written by MAGS alum Emily Gough, who graduated last year as a top Drama scholar and won the Creative Vision award for excellence in student-created theatre. The play was lengthened and expanded to include more characters by HOD Drama Carmela Hughes.
Emily wrote that she wanted to "write a murder mystery, using naturalistic and comedic styles...I was inspired by the many girl detective series that I grew up on...in a sense, this play was a homage to my childhood experience."
Ms Hughes wrote, "This play isn't quite finished yet--it's journey is only beginning."
