REVIEWS

NZ Herald:  "Director Jennifer Ward-Lealand uses [pulsing soundscapes and evocative screen montages] to maintain sensory interest and to anchor the show historically ... Educational for some; a trip down one of memory's unexpected lanes for others.  A hell of a tale"

Theatreview:  "Director Jennifer Ward-Lealand takes the documentary vibe of the play and runs with it ... The actors delight in switching between characters, bringing small town New Zealanders to life in rich and amusing ways ... The fresh telling of the legend recalls a united New Zealand working together"

Pantogtaph Punch:  "Jennifer Ward-Lealand’s direction is clean and sleek, moving through the story easily and without fuss. The integration of three screens with beautiful, evocative images is similarly clean and it lends the piece a theatricality without overwhelming the text.

What's Good: "I walked into The Basement expecting to be educated but not engaged. However I came of the venue with a different view entirely. Enchanting and educational, Fallout achieves an unexpected feat with its portrayal of the events of 1985 ... Fallout ultimately provides both an informative resource to every New Zealander wishing to either learn about or remember this nation-identifying event, and a memorable original piece of drama to general theatre enthusiasts".

On July 10, 1985, two blasts disturbed the winter night and a ship lay submerged in Auckland Harbour.  A ship dedicated to peace.

Fallout  – The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior (formerly Where Were You?) is a play about an event key to the history of Auckland, New Zealand and its people – the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.  Staged this year to mark the 30th anniversary, the play examines how the perpetrators were caught, the role that ordinary New Zealanders played in their arrest, and the profound effect that this act of international terrorism had on the attitudes and lives of the people of this country.

This show brings this culturally significant event back into the spotlight to examine how it contributed to the establishment of New Zealand's unique position as a nuclear-free country.

Many New Zealanders still feel strongly about the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior:

"The tenth of July 1985 was the day I grew up".
"That was the day I learned that if you want to fight for something ... you put your life at risk".
"It was when I realized that those who are arrogant enough to pollute the world with nuclear weapons testing wouldn't hesitate to resort to terrorism to enforce their will".
"I think it was when New Zealand came of age".