Pupils Bring Wahine Tragedy to the Stage

By PATTERSON, Colin

A GROUP of Upper Hutt intermediate school pupils are recreating on stage one of New Zealand’s worst maritime tragedies.

The interisland ferry Wahine hit rocks and sank near the entrance to Wellington Harbour on April 10, 1968.

Fifty-three passengers and crew died.

Four decades later, 75 Maidstone Intermediate School pupils will perform their version at this week’s Mission-On Stage Challenge at Wellington’s TSB Arena.

Teacher and director Annette McRae came up with the idea from living in Eastbourne where some of the survivors — and victims — came ashore.

“My husband Carl talked about it for ages. He even wrote a movie script. I thought it would be an amazing thing for Peter Jackson to do.”

Mrs McRae set her sights a little lower, however, with a stage production starring pupils at her school.

With most having never heard of the Wahine, Mrs McRae introduced them to the tragedy by showing a video and talking about what it meant for the passengers, their families and the country.

That was followed by several brainstorming sessions as the children worked out how they could portray the events, in eight minutes on stage with no dialogue.

With help from parents and grandparents, they spent weekends sewing costumes and building props, while they rehearsed on Sundays and most lunchtimes.

“I think it’s cool what we’re doing,” said Tori Thomson, 12.

The pupils said they had learned a lot about the Wahine. “It sank just off Wellington,” said Tori Brown, 12. “The passengers got in lifeboats or had to swim. Some adults had to hand their babies on to other people.”

Welcoming news of the play, Wahine survivor Lesley Morgan, 91, of Lower Hutt, said she would love to see it.

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