Travels With My Aunt

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Ellerslie Theatrical Society presents

Travels With My Aunt

by Graham Greene and adapted by Giles Havergal
directed by Des Smith

8 to 17 November 2012

'Soon after meeting his Aunt Augusta, he has had a run-in with the police, smoked weed on the Orient Express, smuggled money and been offered sex in a brothel in Paris' ~ Sam Jordison - Guardian UK

At his mother's funeral, stuffy bank clerk Henry Pulling meets his Aunt Augusta, an elderly eccentric with more-than-shady dealings, who pulls him along on a whirlwind adventure, as she attempts to rescue an old lover. Aunt Augusta takes Henry away from his quiet suburban existence into a world of adventure, crime and the highly unconventional details of her past.

Travels with My Aunt takes you on an irreverent, often hilarious and absolutely unforgettable adventure...

ON STAGE
Aunts are not what they were in the 20th century. And in the Sixties Graham Greene produced stern-yet-rebellious Aunt Augusta. She descends on her nephew, a boring former bank manager called Henry Pulling, and slowly sets about corrupting him. He ends up discovering some of life's sweeter plums. Three of the actors (Josephy Quinn, Sue Golding and Michael Hallows) play London suburbanite Pulling, often chopping and changing mid-sentence. Giles Havergal's stage adaptation of Greene's anarchic Travels With My Aunt is good fun. It is boiled down so that there are just four actors taking numerous roles. It is inventive, sparky and amusing.

This play contains adult themes so parental discretion is advised.

PHOTOGRAPHS (larger images available for publication)
Wardrobe – (left to right) – Jerry Miller, Joseph Quinn, Michael Hallows, Sue Golding

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Who Calls – Michael Hallows, Jerry Miller, Joseph Quinn, Sue Golding

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Blowing – Jerry Miller, Joseph Quinn, Sue Golding, (on knees) Michael Hallows

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Absolution – Jerry Miller, Michael Hallows, Joseph Quinn, Sue Golding

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DIRECTOR
Des Smith was born in London in 1966. His parents soon after emigrated to County Mayo on on the West Coast of Ireland where Des grew up in a rural community. When he finished school Des worked for a few years in Ireland before moving to England spending a few years in London and shortly after getting married moving to Stockport in the North of England where he lived for 9 years. 12 years ago Des moved to New Zealand where he has mainly worked with technology companies.

Soon after moving to New Zealand Des became involved in local theatre and was cast in his first play with Company Theatre, Tons Of Money. Since then he has been involved in numerous plays in local theatre at Shoreside Theatre, Company Theatre, Mairangi Players, Dolphin Theatre and Ellerslie Theatrical Society. Des has also appeared on New Zealand TV Screens on a regular basis in TV Commercials as well as a number of roles in Shortland Street and most recently in Underbelly – Land Of The Long Green Cloud. Directing had not been on the agenda for Des until he was cast in Conor McPhersons The Weir by the Irish Theatrical Society in 2005. Sadly the society folded before the play made it to the stage but Des had fallen in love with the script and upon failing to find anyone else willing to direct it and with no other options Des decided to have a go. Ellerslie Theatrical Society took the leap of faith with an untried director and the play went on to win ACTT awards for Best Set, Best Male in a Leading Role as well as Best Production in 2007. Since then Des has directed two other plays, Shining City at Mairangi Players and in 2010 The History Boys which received ACTT Awards for Best Lighting, Best Set & Best Comedy.

Des by his own admission does not read a lot of plays, they seem to find him and get into his head. This was the case with The Weir, Shining City and The History Boys. Similarly with Travels With My Aunt Des first came across it about 8 years ago when asked by Howick Little Theatre to be involved in their annual play preview evening. Des performed in a few scenes and simply loved the writing, the humour and quite frankly the whole weirdness of the way it was structured. Having had 8 years to think about how he would stage it, he hopes you can sit back and enjoy this wonderful ride around the world with the fantastic cast and crew he has shared his own journey with.

PERFORMANCE DATES
Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 November 2012 at 8pm
Sunday 11 November at 2pm
Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 November 8pm
Saturday 17 November at 2pm and 8pm

BOOKINGS
iTICKET – www.iticket.co.nz or phone 09 361 1000 (booking fee/delivery fee will apply)

TICKETS
Evening $22, $20 (discounted)
Matinee $16, $13 (discounted)

VENUE
Stables Theatre (Ellerslie War Memorial Community Centre, Cnr Main Highway & Arthur St, Ellerslie, Auckland

CONTACT
For further information, to arrange an interview or photo opportunity contact the Publicist - Anna Adam on mobile 021 137 4936 or email annajadam@gmail.com. More information can be found on www.ellerslietheatre.co.nz.

ENDS

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