Toil and Trouble, written by James Russell and directed by Rose Damon, third-year Unitec writing and directing students, will be performed at the Unitec Theatre by students from the Department of Performing And Screen Arts. The play opens the annual ‘R-Evolution’ season, a collection of original plays by Unitec’s graduating playwrights.

Set in Elizabethan England, Toil and Trouble tells the story of a bunch of bumbling wizards as they uncover a deadly plot against them. A hilarious, English-style comedy, it is heavily influenced by the magical worlds of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels and Harry Potter. Funny, imaginative, with characters that are driven by courage and loyalty and the fight for good over evil, Toil and Trouble lifts the audience out of their suburban lives for an hour and a half and places them safely back down again when it’s done.

The main characters - Weatherwind, Proudmouth, Bugelrod and Redgrave - are particularly special to Russell, having been invented in his teenage years and part of the fabric of his imagination ever since. Damon says she instantly connected with the unbridled sense of fun that comes through the play and the clarity of James’ vision of his characters’ world. The play is full of hilarious one-liners and clever intrigue, and demonstrates the writer’s ability to be funny and entertaining while appealing to audience members of all ages; rare ability in young writers.

Damon has directed short plays in the past, including Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead People by Shane Garnett at Unitec last year, however Toil and Trouble will be her first full-length work. Originally from Melbourne, Damon moved to New Zealand in 2008 to pursue studies at Unitec. As graduating students, Damon and Russell are looking to the future for ways carry their work into a more public forum, beyond the support of Unitec. If Toil and Trouble is well-received during the R-Evolution season, the duo plan to turn it into a travelling play to take to communities and schools around New Zealand next year, and Russell already has plans for a sequel.

Toil and Trouble plays at the Unitec Theatre, October 28^th-31^st, 2010.