Dear MASSIVE,

I am writing this an hour after seeing your show for the second night in a row. I don’t think I will ever get over a performance that was as compelling and as powerful as what you have delivered with Havoc In The Garden.

Every breath, every piece of dialogue, every feeling in Havoc felt raw, felt alive, felt honest and above all, was real. I have never walked out of a theatre feeling so affected, so stripped of my own defences and so changed. You achieved the essence of what Theatre is about - challenging, enlightening and forcing society to reflect upon itself. Your production touched every fiber of my soul and I have no doubt that its affect will vibrate in eternity.

I felt like each of you had stripped yourself down to the core and then built every layer of your character with absolute truth and with absolute integrity. Every moment was solid, every intention was clear. You didn’t sugar coat our society and you didn’t pretend. You were. You didn’t just act, you were.

Every element was seamless and integrated so precisely. The set that allowed for 5 different spaces was incredible. The lighting was moving. (In particular I loved the overlapping fade, where Dyl’s light faded directly before the light on Yani did.) The music highlighted the emotion so touchingly. And Lennie’s writing, wow. Wow. Wow. Powerful. Every aspect of your production was well thought out and so meaningful.

Havoc In The Garden was heartbreakingly refreshing and I applaud you for it. The content you dealt with was life. You were all so honest, so sincere, so painfully accurate. I have never seen a piece of Theatre that was such a true reflection of the nature of humans. You have all blown me away and I have the utmost respect for what you, individually, and as a company, have achieved.

I would also like to thank you for bringing Havoc to little old conservative New Plymouth. We as a community very rarely see such poignant Theatre. In fact, I feel we have grown complacent with ‘warm and fuzzy’ Theatre, you know the kind, the light hearted cup of tea comedy. You have challenged our audiences, you have made them think, you took them out of their comfort zone. Finally. Someone has done it. I believe you may have opened the door to our community beginning to appreciate (and wanting to see) Theatre that has a relevance and that challenges not only the way we behave, but also the way we perceive things. If you have indeed opened that door, well, we will never know where that influence stops. I just wanted to thank you all and congratulate you on such an exceptional piece of work. I think it is important to tell people when they have made a difference and to let them know that their excellence was inspiring.

I will never forget Havoc In The Garden. Ever.

Much love,

Taryn.