Christchurch Men’s Prison will open its doors to the public this month for the first New Zealand performance of Against the Head, based on a play written by Joe Bennett.
Against the Head is about a group of young men who play rugby. Every Saturday they hit the paddock, then the town. And one of them wonders why.
Youth offenders from B Block will star in the play, penned in 1981 while Bennett was a university student in England.
The play is directed by Mike Friend, who recently directed Bliss at the Court Theatre and was at university with Bennett when he wrote Against the Head.
Friend says the play has been extensively reworked and expanded. “I’ve incorporated ideas from other plays, but the core of the piece remains the same as when it was first conceived 23 years ago.
“Because some things don’t change.”
Against the Head isn’t the first time Friend has worked with youth offenders at the Prison. Earlier this year he spent three weeks with a group of youths to direct a performance for around 50 Public Prisons Service staff, Chaplains, programme providers and stakeholders.
South Island Public Prisons Regional Manager Paul Monk says the production was extremely successful and well performed, “but more pleasing was the fact that the youth worked as a team to conduct the performance with incredible success.”
Following the success of the earlier production, Friend was invited to return to work with another group of youth in B Block. Friend thought a rugby theme might work, so got in touch with Bennett, who worked with the director and his young cast to develop the story further.
Against the Head is the second time inmates of Christchurch Prison have staged a production for public audiences. Te Timatanga Hou – a new beginning was performed by adult offenders in February 2003 under director Jim Moriaty.
Paul Monk says taking performances like this to the public is an opportunity for the audience to see offenders as people and performers, and not purely in terms of the crime they committed.
“I hope that by coming to see Against the Head, not only will the audience get to see a great performance, but that they will also leave here with a better appreciation of the fact these offenders are people who have a lot to offer.
“It’s also an opportunity for the offenders to learn new skills and work together to produce something they can really be proud of.”
Against the Head opens to the public at Christchurch Prison (Paparua), West Coast Road, Yaldhurst on Thursday 25 November, with the last performance on Saturday 27 November. Tickets can be purchased from Ticketek’s Christchurch Town Hall booking office, and entry is subject to a security check. Photo ID must be presented upon entry.