Review: Out of the Volcano

Devised and directed by John Hudson from stories written by Banks Peninsula children. An Akaroa Community Arts Council initiative, 12 November 1997. Review by Steve Lowndes.

Akaroa has never seen anything quite like Out of the Volcano. It was billed as a "creative experiment," orchestrated, conducted and cajoled along by two mad scientists (John Hudson and Patrick Duffy). Every theatrical performance needs to reach the critical point of spontaneous combustion. Out of the Volcano achieved this over and over again, and the experiment was deemed an outrageous success by all who witnessed it.
The plot was topical, magical and poignant. The set was the natural backdrop of the harbour, lit by a dramatic sunset. The props and costumes were pure pantomime and the cast of hundreds came from schools and communities all over the slopes of the volcano.
John Hudson proved himself a master at grasping cohesion from the jaws of chaos. He took the scatological script with its bizarre array of characters and managed to move everybody to three different locations in the manner of a medieval mystery play.
The audience, which included nonagenarians and babes in arms, was transfixed by permanent smiles wherever it was led and the excitement and wonder at whether or not the plot was actually going to make it was palpable on every face.
The concept for the experimental extravaganza was born over a year ago when the Community Arts Council had the idea of asking school children to write about how they felt about living on the Peninsula. The various themes of their stories were stitched together to form a collaborative, open ended, ever evolving script which included (amongst many, many things) an old lady looking for her knickers, a swimming policeman, a mute flute player, a rapacious tycoon (who wants to bring the BIG picture to Akaroa in the form of five-story residential units and a revolving restaurant), protestors, dolphins, whales, eagles and eaglets, mermaids and possums.
This unlikely combination of characters was stage managed with every artifice in the book - an equestrian herald, an eloquent narrator, dancers, musicians, singers, pyrotechnics and even a deus ex machina in the form of the eagle which flew on wires into the mouth of the volcano constructed on a raft out in the harbour.
The finale was a grand procession along the beach and the happy ending was extolled by "Valerie (Christine Brownie) and the Volcanoes" singing That's What Friends Are For.
That Creative New Zealand declined to support this event is indicative of how out of touch that organisation has become with its flax roots especially since the disestablishment of regional councils.
But, despite the tightest of budgets, the evening brought the wonder of theatre to a large and enthusiastic audience. The subtext of the script, which was the children's concern for the environment, both built and natural, was clearly communicated and appreciated.
Thanks to all those who made this event such a success, especially Patsy Turner and Sauna Armstrong who were, in the end, the producers of the magic that came Out of the Volcano.
- S - Lowndes