Revlon Girl by Neil Anthony Docking, Directed by Michelle Chainey & Sharren Read

“Revlon Girl”  by Neil Anthony Docking, Directed by Michelle Chainey & Sharren Read

15th – 25th March 2023

Based on true events, set in Wales 1966

What drew our attention to this play?  It is about women and more importantly – mothers and the emotions of such a tragedy.  Although the characters are fictitious, the events in the play are true.  Even though this play is set in Wales, we asked the actors to use their won voices and not do a Welsh accent by doing this the retelling of the story is more authentic.

Little did we know that New Zealand would be facing the aftermath of an equally devastating disaster as we went on stage.  Cyclone Gabrille affecting parts of Auckland and then the East Coast of New Zealand.

Revlon Girl is a play about mothers coping with the loss of their children in this tragedy.  The Revlon Girl is a make-up lady who has been invited by Sian, to give a make-up evening in the town hall, to help make this small group of ladies feel better about themselves.  It is not an initial hit with everyone there, but it does bring out all the emotions, mixed and otherwise.  Tension and emotions are high but in the end, a commoradary is developed and  the ladies form a strong bond.  The underlying secret to this play is the hidden “emotion” that the Revlon Girl is hiding, herself,  The loss of a brother.

AT 9.15am on Friday 21st October 1966, a waste tip slid down a mountainside into the mining village of Aberfan, near Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales.

It first destroyed a farm cottage in its path, killing all the occupants at Pantglas Junoir School, just below.  The children had just returned to their classes after singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful” at their assembly.

It was sunny on the mountain but foggy in the village, with visibility about 50 yards.  The tipping gang up the mountain had seen the slide start, but couldn’t raise the alarm because their telephone cable had been repeatedly stolen.

Down in the village, nobody saw anything, but everybody heard the noise! The slide engulfed the school and about 20 houses in the village before coming to rest.  The there was total silence.

Cast:  Maddy Klever (Sian); Nicola Knight (Jackie Burder); Kaila LeMaitre (The Revlon Girl); Shae Trownson (Marilyn); Suzy Adair (Rona); Kijiana Pene (Jean)