They say the only constant in life is change, so why does it sometimes seem harder than ever to face? In Sir Roger Hall’s heart-warming play End of Summer Time, the idea is tackled via an ‘affectionate skewering’ of lovable old grump, Dickie Hart.
One of the country’s most prolific and successful playwrights, Sir Roger Hall first introduced the character of Hart in two previous works, 1996 rugby comedy C’mon Black! and 1999’s You Gotta Be Joking.
Both were popular for their true-blue Kiwi bloke familiarity, cow cocky Dickie initially following the Rugby World Cup in the first play, and then selling up the Taranaki farm to appease wife Glenda’s desire for a new life in Wellington.
Now in his 70s, Dickie experiences another upheaval, grudgingly agreeing to Glenda’s wish to move closer to their grandkids in the big smoke. The one-man play is carried onstage in the Auckland Theatre Company production by comedic talent Andrew Grainger (Peter Pan, North by Northwest) and directed by theatre stalwart Alison Quigan.
Hall himself, now 86 and just as busy turning out work as ever, drew on some of his own experiences and wry observations for the story, given he resides in a Takapuna apartment similar to those Dickie and Glenda now find themselves settled in.
In fact, Auckland itself could almost be considered a character, but instead of mean-spirited ‘Jafa’ insinuations, the play’s humour conveys a love-letter to a city (and its people) that continues to surprise and delight. Because, despite the traffic, expensive housing, body corporate politics and even diversity of languages, Dickie eventually discovers not all of it is bad.
“It’s his look at Auckland and the way of life, a different pace of life and how it affects him,” says Andrew Grainger. “He’s finding a relationship with his grandkids and reconnecting with his kids again.” Many older audience members will find a smile on their lips recognising the realities of ageing and the minutiae of modern life Dickie comes up against.
Grainger says though Dickie initially pushes back on all that he is experiencing, his eventual growth is endearing.
“He’s got that Kiwi kind of spirit – ‘just get on with it’ – where everything’s black and white,” he explains. “But of course, life isn’t like that and he starts to see there’s so much more than one way of thinking.”
Having recently gone through a separation in his own life, Grainger says the idea of facing and embracing change resonates. “Change happens, even though we might not want it, and it’s how we cope with that change.”
It doesn’t matter what age you are, the unexpected can lead to opportunity, if you are open to it, the actor says. “You get to a certain age and go, ‘This wasn’t supposed to happen.’ But it is, and what do you do? You either sit and sulk, or you get on with it.”
He says both in the play and in life, it can be helpful to be inspired by possibilities. “I think it can be easy to say, ‘I can’t be bothered to change’ and, you know, change is hard. It’s really hard to face up to that,” he says, but points out adapting and accepting new people and ideas into your life will bring new energy. Grainger says despite the abundance of laughs, Dickie is surprised by the depth of his feelings around these ideas.
“For some guys, emotion is kept under wraps and it’s shown through other things like, say, a rugby team [and their successes or losses]. It can come out in different ways, and that can be quite confronting.”
Hall is well-known for his genius in holding a mirror up to our strengths and shortcomings, which Granger says is on-point in End of Summer Time.
That connection means, in many moments, the laughs come easily. The play is gently mocking, in a reflective ‘look at us’ rather than a ‘look at him’ way. “ I think it’s always good, especially nowadays, to have a little laugh at ourselves,” admits Grainger.
He hopes the audience’s takeaway is that even though things change, there is always hope and opportunity. “There is still a future, if we look for it and we’re open,” he says. “And if we become more open, we become more open to seeing kindness, and all the good things in the world.”
Roger Hall’s End of Summer Time
17 June–5 July, 2025
ASB Waterfront Theatre
atc.co.nz
