Peninsula: Idyllic Times

Actor Paul McLaughlin, who plays 10-year-old Michael Hope in the current Circa production Peninsula, shares with drama on the waterfront his favourite childhood memory.

(left to right) Paul McLaughlin, Phil Vaughan and Jason Whyte in Peninsula. Photo by Dominika Zielinska. 

"When I was Michael's age, my family used to camp with some friends of ours at a wee place called Omaio in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Like Michael and the kids of Duveauchelle, we'd be off after breakfast and not seen again till we were hungry. Building forts in the trees, swimming, walking down to the shop to buy k-bars, watching out for my Dad and Ted coming in from fishing, swimming in the Motu River with my diving mask and snorkel, hanging out in the Te Kaha Pub carpark with the other kids drinking creaming soda and eating chips. We collected bits of glass from the pebbly beach, (pictured) bits of blue and green glass being the most highly prized, then on down to clear and brown. They were idyllic times - the smell of a beach fire still brings them to mind and once my two girls are old enough we'll head back that way, forty years later, 'cept this time I won't be hanging out in the carpark at the pub."

Omaio Beach. Photo by Paul McLaughlin.

Peninsula is on at Circa until 31 March. It is part of the NZ International Arts Festival until 18 March - to book, call Ticketek at 0800 842 538 or go online at www.ticketek.co.nz. The season will continue at Circa after the Festival; to book, call the Circa Box Office at 801-7992 or go online at www.circa.co.nz.