Southern View: August 30, 2016

SOUTHERN VIEW Tuesday August 30 2016 11
News
Singing nuns perform
• By Georgia O’Connor-Harding
A DRAMA group which has
been running for about 52 years
will perform the internationally
renowned show, Nunsense The
Mega Musical.
The production will feature
performers from Halswell,
Rolleston, Cashmere, Tai Tapu
and Lincoln.
It will be staged from this
Friday by the Halswell Drama
Group. The show will be their
first ever off-Broadway musical.
“Part-time nun” Tim Gunther
said the show will be bigger and
better than any other show the
drama group has performed.
“We went to some businesses
in Halswell and asked for some
financial assistance to help afford
the script because it was about 10
times more expensive than the
script we usually try,” he said.
Nunsense The Mega Musical
tells the story of ‘the little sisters
of Hoboken’ who have recently
suffered the tragic loss of most of
their convent after an accidental
food poisoning by their cook
Sister Julia.
Gunther will play the role of
Sister Julia who is based on the
American chef Julia Child.
“It is a bit unusual . . . it is my
first time playing a woman on
stage so I am pretty excited about
that,” he said.
This year the group has partnered
with restaurant and bar
The Old Vicarage as part of a
pre-show dinner.
Gunther said the show has
been done many times around
the world and is the next step
down from shows like Cats and
Chess.
Nunsense The Mega Musical
will run from Friday, September
2 to Saturday, September 10, at
the Halswell Community Centre.
To book tickets vist www.iticket.
co.nz
HILARIOUS SHOW: Lucy Webb as Sister Mary Leo (left);
Olivia Megarry as Sister Mary Hubert; Pat Hannah as
Reverend Mother Mary Regina; Jillian Rheinberger as Sister
Robert Anne; and Katharine Riley as Sister Mary Amnesia. ​
Opportunity shop opened by St John
THE CITY’S first St John
opportunity shop opened in
Addington on Saturday.
Money raised in the shop,
at 272 Lincoln Rd, will
support ambulance and
other St John services in
Christchurch.
St John Christchurch chairman
Graham Gillespie said
the shop would be a key part of
St John’s presence in the city,
alongside other community
activities such as ambulance
services, the St John Youth
programme, and community
care programmes.
Volunteers had been recruited
to run the shop under
the guidance of manager Pete
Black.
“We received an amazing
response to our request for volunteers
and have a dedicated
team of local people on board,”
Mr Gillespie said.
“St John opportunity shops
are another way for local people
to support St John and for
our organisation to continue
our work in local communities.”
St John has operated other
opportunity shops around
the country for a number of
years.
BIG DAY: The opening of
a new St John opportunity
shop in Addington was
attended by (from left)
shop manager Pete
Black, city councillor Tim
Scandrett and St John
Christchurch chairman
Graham Gillespie, among
others. ​