Reviewed by Jodi Yeats

“A woman, a man and a penguin” – the subtitle sounds surreal, but it’s not long before I started believing in Lynda Chanwai-Earle’s tale of heat on the Ross Ice Shelf.

Reviewed by Jodi Yeats

“A woman, a man and a penguin” – the subtitle sounds surreal, but it’s not long before I started believing in Lynda Chanwai-Earle’s tale of heat on the Ross Ice Shelf.

In particular, despite being a naked actor, albeit heavily body painted, it wasn’t long before Bob the emperor penguin (Byron Coll), really became a penguin. Coll is superb at the physical theatre involved in playing a wild animal with anthropomorphic aspects.

The New Zealand writer’s play is set in the confined space of an Antartica New Zealand hut where a couple are wintering over – John (Simon Vincent) to measure the impact of climate change and Stella (Kate Prior) to study breeding patterns among emperor penguins. Every so often they go outside walking through the snow with slow, giant steps.

With nowhere to escape from each other or themselves, the heat goes on the couple’s relationship, in particular their shared and individual grief over a lost child.

Not surprisingly, when Stella decides to take in Bob, who is unwell and rejected by his colony, he becomes both her surrogate child and, later love interest in her grief ravaged mind.

The twists and turns in the couple’s lives as John reacts to this unwelcome development create a great story and Chanwai-Earle’s script negotiates this challenging terrain as easily as driving a skidoo.

Soundscape builds atmosphere

Gareth Farr’s electronic soundscape evokes the wild, beauty of Antarctica . It is expertly mixed with huge storms and radio contact with base by Isaac Heron. Farr was an Antarctic Arts Fellow in the summer of 2005 to 06 and the sounds are a large element of what transported me imaginatively to the ice.

Eco elements behind scenes too

And speaking of the atmosphere, a huge effort has been made to create a low carbon play, with the electricity supplied by a mobile unit of a windmill and two solar panels, created by designers Brian King and Marcus McShane, working with specialist alternative energy system designer Graeme Ebbett.

Outfits add to authenticity

Another touch that creates authenticity is that the clothes the actors where and many of the props, such as the supply boxes were donated to Chanwai-Earle for the play by Antarctica New Zealand. They are the ones actually used in 1999 – the end of the millennium setting of the play.

Big ups to director David O’Donnell for a successful production.

It’s hard to believe Chanwai-Earle has never set foot on the ice, but in a New Zealand Herald interview (10 July) she says she would like to and for Heat to be the first of a trilogy. I look forward to more from this impressive writer.

Heat
Herald Theatre
Until Saturday 17 July
Bookings 0800 BUY TICKETS

Dunedin
13 to 16 October
Otago Festival
Settlers Theatre

Nelson
20 to 21 October
Nelson Festival
Suiter Theatre