''Pass It On'' is the second play in a trilogy by New Zealand playwright

Renée Renée (without the accent in non-French speaking countries) is a French/Latin feminine given name. Renée is the female form of René, with the extra –e making it feminine according to French grammar. The name Renée is the French form of t ...

. The first play in the trilogy is ''

Wednesday to Come ''Wednesday to Come'' is the first play in a trilogy by New Zealand playwright Renée. The second play in the trilogy is '' Pass It On'', and the third is '' Jeannie Once''. The play follows the women of a family during the Depression in New Zea ...

'', and the third is '' Jeannie Once''. It takes place during the

1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute The 1951 New Zealand waterfront dispute was the largest and most widespread industrial dispute in New Zealand history. During the time, up to twenty thousand workers went on strike in support of waterfront workers protesting against financial ha ...

. Characters Cliff and Jeannie appeared as teenagers in ''Wednesday to Come''.

Background

The first performance was on 1 March 1986 by Theatre Corporate in Auckland, directed by Roger McGill. The play has been published by

Playmarket Playmarket is a not-for-profit organisation providing script advisory services, representation for playwrights in New Zealand and access to New Zealand plays. Playmarket was founded in 1973 to encourage the professional production of New Zealand p ...

. The name ''Pass It On'' references illegal pamphlets that were published with a request: 'Please pass this notice on'.

Characters

* Nell – thirty-four, Cliff's wife * Cliff – thirty-two * Jeannie – thirty * Gus – thirty-four

Synopsis

The play begins in February 1951, at the beginning of the

. Cliff is a waterside worker, and on strike. Jeannie and Gus are involved with the union, publishing a Bulletin, putting the waterside workers' views across due to emergency regulations preventing publication of anything supporting of them in mainstream media. The play traces the change in relationship between Cliff's wife, Nell, and Jeannie. The play culminates with a march to advertise a public meeting to get public support for the strikers. The play is structured with 29 scenes with the use of voice overs, double scenes and a slow motion sequence in the 1986

Downstage Theatre Downstage Theatre was a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that ran from 1964 to 2013. For many years it occupied the purpose-built Hannah Playhouse building. Former directors include Sunny Amey, Mervyn Thompson, and Coli ...

production.

Productions

Reception

Reviewers of the 1986 Downstage production said it showcased the skills of the writer, the performance were all 'impressive' and the play had a 'strong impact'. Playmarket published in 1986 a schools study guide of ''Pass It On'' and ''Wednesday to Come'' in their ACT Magazine (v.11 n.3 Jun 1986).

References

1986 plays New Zealand plays {{1980s-play-stub