University Drama Society (Press, 6 September 1972)

The University of Canterbury Drama Society performed a production of "Spoiled," written by Simon Gray, from September 5 to 9, 1972, in the informal setting of the upstairs common room of the Students’ Association Building. The play, with a running time of one hour and thirty-five minutes, centres on a bisexual schoolteacher, his pregnant wife, and a pupil. Critics anticipated that moving to a less polished environment might encourage the society to explore more adventurous and controversial scripts, given the resources and talents available to students in the city. However, the production has been described as lacking in substance, characterised by its naturalistic approach. The narrative revolves around the schoolteacher’s interactions with his wife — who remains notably pregnant throughout — and his pupil, whom he is tutoring in French just days before an exam. The critic noted that while "Spoiled" shares a credential with "Pyjama Tops," having been staged in London the previous year, it falls flat in terms of engagement and excitement. Despite the shortcomings of the script, there were commendations for some performances, notably that of Peter Blois, who played Donald, the pupil. His portrayal of a shy character was seen as promising, hinting at potential for growth within the society’s future productions. Other cast members received mixed reviews, with Caroline Chambers being noted for her competence in a minor role. Neill Colledge was appreciated for his character work, though there were issues reported with his movement on stage. Lesley Colingwood, portraying Joanna, the pregnant wife, was perceived as miscast due to a lack of assertiveness in her portrayal. Jeremy Finn’s performance as Howarth, the teacher, also suffered, highlighted by an overly consistent pace in his speech and an absence of the character’s commanding presence. The critic concluded by expressing hope that while increasing the number of productions in Christchurch is beneficial, greater care should be taken in script selection to ensure that audience interest and engagement are maintained.

The text on this page is created, in the most part, using Generative AI and so may contain errors or omissions. It is supplied to you without guarantee or warranty of correctness. If you find an error or would like to make a content suggestion please get in contact

The text on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 New Zealand