It is against the law to be creative in his occupation – a Chartered Accountant – so Richard writes plays in Matamata to keep his imagination under control. He has been involved in amateur theatre for thirty years as an actor and director.
PO Box 366, MATAMATA Phone 07 888 6740 (bus) or 07 888 7357 (pvte) richard.prevett@xtra.co.nz—-Plays—-
Border Control
10-minute comedy
An innocent tourist falls victim to an over-zealous airport official.
First performed at Bites (Playwrights Association of New Zealand Competition Festival), Skin Theatre, The Dark Room, Palmerston North, New Zealand, September 17-19 & 24-26, 2015, directed by Tracey-Lynne Cody
Published in Stage Journeys – 10 short plays from New Zealand, 2016
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Family Trust
Widowed farmer Malcom clinging on to middle age, invites his adult son and daughter to a family meeting. The introduction to his foreign fiancée and proposed changes to their family trust does not go down too well, to say the least. But later when son and daughter have to deal with their own issues a united family defence is necessary to confront the enemy.
Runner Up in the PANZ Long Play Competition, 2017
Produced at Matamata Little Theatre, Matamata, 2018
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Peculiar Reasons
Drama – Full Length. 4 Male, 5 Female
Peculiar Reasons, a combination of research and imagination, is an intriguing glimpse into the turbulent lives of the young Wakefield brothers. Described by some as the “architect of New Zealand” Edward Gibbon Wakefield was a man of visionary ideas and humanitarian views that were largely at odds with the ruling establishment of nineteenth century England. Together with his brother William he arranged an innovative colonisation plan for the little islands east of Australia.
Why then did the gates of prison close on two of the most enterprising and with all their faults, noblest of men of that generation?
First Performance Hamilton Fuel Festival of NZ Theatre June 2002, directed by Simon John Coleman.
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The Year Of The Rat
Comedy – Full Length – 4 Male, 4 Female
Set in Mary and Ted Andrews’ basement where the elderly couple have barricaded themselves in against the rat flu pandemic which has already reached across the Tasman, we see vagaries of Kiwi family life being carried on in spite of adversity – and there is certainly no shortage of carrying on.
Prevett cleverly matches a witty script, that would not have disgraced the pen of Roger Hall, with an outrageous set and punctuates it with flashes of Vaudeville a la Singing Detective. The resultant riotous scenes flash by at breakneck pace as the pecadillos and misdemeanours of the Andrews offspring are unveiled. But this is no West End farce. It is, rather, an exercise in character studies.
First Performance Matamata Dramatic Society May 2007, directed by Ainna Tidmarsh. Selected by Matamata Dramatic Society to celebrate 60th Anniversary.
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The Yellow Mercedes
Drama/Comedy – Full Length – One set. 2 Male, 3 Female
Take a drive in The Yellow Mercedes but be prepared to defend yourself! This award winning play explores the fallout that occurs when the apparently ordinary Clark family living in a small rural town in the Waikato receive a visit from the local Detective Inspector. A distinctive yellow Mercedes is linked to a crime scene. Royce Clark is a suspect for a vicious crime. His wife is confused, his daughter is disbelieving and Sheree from down the road wants to find out all about it. But that is only the beginning … This drama, laced with comedy, is enthralling entertainment.
First Performance Hamilton Fuel Festival of NZ Theatre July 2000, directed by Simon John Coleman. Second Prize Playwrights Association of NZ annual competition. Selected by the Waikato Times ‘Best Local Production of the year’
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Vintage Cloudy Bay
Drama – Full Length – 5 Male; 2 Female
English tourists on a wine trial savour a glass or three of the internationally acclaimed Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc. They discover that 160 years ago, there was a red fluid soaking the hills of the WairauValley when their ancestors faced up to the mighty warriors Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata. The pakeha were flouting the essence of the recent Treaty of Waitangi and the Ngati Toa decided to make a stand to defend their territory.
An audacious and provocative play providing a penetrating insight into the lives of Maori and Pakeha before the New Zealand Wars. Humour, romance and violence combine in this blood soaked story of revenge, examining the distinction between terrorist and freedom fighter. A universal theme poignant as it was then as it is today.
First Performance Hamilton Fuel Festival of NZ Theatre June 2004, directed by Simon John Coleman
What Would You Do?
Matamata Dramatic Society’s Short & Sweet, Matamata Little Theatre, 29 June – 2 July, 2017
Playwrights Association of New Zealand (Inc) 