I have to admit I was a little hesitant about going to see Corner of 4am And Cuba. I remember being shocked by the murder of Jeff Whittington as a teenager when it happened, I'd also heard that the boy's family were against it (it turns out most actually were OK with it), plus The Dominion Post had given it a rather slating review. However, a 16-year-old friend who attends the same school that Jeff did needed someone to go with, and it was a fundraiser for ‘Out There' so I decided to give it a shot. And I am so glad that I did. It begins with an overly long and perhaps self-indulgent prologue outside in an alleyway. I'm no theatre buff so anything too "arty" tends to put me off. However once we were seated and the play actual got going it was somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster. Jeff himself is never seen and the cast plays a variety of characters - both friends of Jeff, complete strangers and the murderers themselves. The play deals with how society sees those who are different and also addresses the victim-blaming mentality we have here. All the cast put in stellar performances and the music (written especially for the play) is a major highlight. I would highly recommend seeing this as while we hear about the many hate crimes overseas (like Matthew Shepherd) we need to remember that this can, and has happened here. The Wheelbarrow Group presents: Corner of 4am