Who Needs Sleep Anyway?

18 August - 22 September

Downstage Theatre, Wellington

A fun frivolous comedy for anyone who's ever been a baby!

New Zealand's best-known and most successful playwright, Roger Hall, joins forces with daughter Pip Hall for the first time to create this delightful comedic celebration of 100 years of bringing up babies in New Zealand.

In 2007 Roger and Pip were commissioned by Plunket to celebrate its centenary by writing the hilarious production, Who Needs Sleep Anyway?

Who Needs Sleep Anyway? follows the early years of the irrepressible Baby Plunket (played by Peter Hambleton) and his hapless parents (played by Nick Dunbar and Mel Dodge). As "Baby P" grows and thrives, he explores the remarkable history of Plunket and Plunket nurses, without whom generations of New Zealanders would not be quite so hale and hearty.

Plunket was born in Dunedin on 14 May 1907, at a time when infant mortality rates in New Zealand were shockingly high and health services for babies were woefully inadequate. It was the brain-child of Dr (later Sir) Frederick Truby King (played by Paul McLaughlin), who saw the need for a Society that would 'help the mothers and save the babies'. Today, over 91 percent of babies born in New Zealand are Plunket babies.

Who Needs Sleep Anyway? playfully celebrates the work of Plunket and the experience of ordinary Kiwi Mums and Dads, struggling to make sense of their new role in life and the unpredictable behaviour of their "best babies in the world".

In turns hilarious, wonderful and emotional (rather like parenthood really) this comedy delights and entertains. So join us for a fun-filled evening of frolics and frivolity, hysterics and history, songs and satire, in this joyful celebration of our heritage.

'Who Needs Sleep Anyway?' certainly hit the spot.' ODT

Director: Susan Wilson

Featuring: Jennifer Ludlam, Jane Waddell, Peter Hambleton, Mel Dodge, Paul McLaughlin & Nick Dunbar

www.downstage.co.nz

WRITER'S BIOGRAPHIES:

Roger Hall's first stage play, Glide Time, was produced in 1976, and was a smash hit throughout the country. His next play, Middle Age Spread, was equally successful throughout New Zealand, was also went to the West End where it ran for 15 months and won Comedy of the Year Award, and has since been seen in nine other countries. He has been writing a stage play every year since then (several being performed at Downstage) , plus musicals and pantomimes and has written more than 60 sitcoms episodes for TV, from Gliding On to Spin Doctors, and had two series of the comedy Conjugal Rites made and screened in the UK. His latest play Who Wants to be a 100 (Anyone Who's 99)? played to 18,000 people at Sky City, Auckland. He has been awarded a QSO, a CNZM and an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Victoria University and was recently appointed Ambassador for UNICEF New Zealand

Pip Hall graduated with a BA in Drama from the University of Otago in 1994. Since then she has worked as a professional writer and actor for both the stage and screen. She has written eight plays, four of which have been commissioned works. Her play shudder was been published by The Play Press and is produced regularly by high schools. Her play Red Fish, Blue Fish was selected for the New Writers Season at Auckland's Silo Theatre in 2002 and was later produced in Wellington in November 2003 at Circa Studio. Her latest work, The Woman Who Loved a Mountain has received an ATC reading, and has just had a workshop reading at the Taranaki Festival of the Arts. Pip is a wife and mother to two small but delightful children.

Performance Times Monday - Thursday 6.30pm Friday & Saturday 8pm

Matinees Sat 25 Aug, 1 Sep 2pm & Sat 8, 15, 22 Sep 4pm Parents & Babies Show - $20 Wed 29 Aug 11am $20 Public Previews15, 16 & 17 August

Tickets Premium $39 - Members $29 Premium Concession/Groups 8+ $30 Students $28/$18 2hr standby Preview/Parents & Babies $20 School Parties $15 per person - Children Under 12 yrs $10

www.downstage.co.nz

ENDS

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