Amidst many highlights in a Conference dedicated to the celebration of 200 years of Methodism in Aotearoa, a stand-out was the performance of a play Amazing Love at the Kaeo Kerikeri Union Parish Church Cornerstone, following the Wesley Historical Society AGM and dinner on Friday evening. Written and directed by Geoff Allen, the shared experiences and love of Rev Samuel Leigh and his wife Catherine was bought to life by the words, songs and performances of talented actors Marion Prebble and John Goudge.

Described in promotional material as “a tale of dreams, tikanga, war, fundraising, ship-wrecks and Jesus down-under” the outstanding play included rousing input from an enthusiastic audience who sang along to well-known traditional Wesleyan hymns. The performance at the Kerikeri church was the finale in a season that premiered in Auckland at the Pitt Street Theatre earlier in November with six performances over two weekends.

Touchstone invited Geoff, author, playwright and kaiarahi at Pitt Street Theatre, to share the story behind the evolution of the play.

Q What inspired and motivated you to write the play?

A) The moment is clear in my mind. When I first heard of the 200th, I said to (Dr) Helen Laurenson at the end of a Pitt Street service, "We should create a play about it. Hobbs, he'd make a good story."

Helen replied, "It's not Hobbs, it's Leigh."

"Who's Leigh?" I said.

So began months of research.

Q) What was the timeline for the production?

I began researching two years ago. A trip to Kaeo. A quaint display made for us at the local museum. Anzac Day meetings with locals. Hurried conversations about tikanga and protocol. An emotional kōrero with Allen Heta of Ngāti Uru. A trip to the cairn, karakia and the promise I would do my best.

We stayed on the edge of Whangaroa and we could see and feel the past all around. The job was to sift through the depictions of events. Some had Leigh as a hero, some as a difficult moody man. All sang the praises of Catherine. I have tried not to have villains or heroes from either culture, but humans - doing the best they could. It was a bloody and confusing time. The Leigh’s arrived in the middle of the tribal wars and Leigh was too sick to bring much change.

The key thing I discovered was that Ngāti Uru do not feel they have been treated well. That Kua wareware i te taha Pākeha i te iwi tuatahi ki pōwhiri i te hāhi weteriana ki Aoteraoa. That being the first to welcome Methodists has been forgotten. That they still hold that kawenata with Te Hāhi Weteriana dear. I hope my play will whakatūtata i ngā iwi katoa (bring all together).

We started rehearsing late September at John Goudge's studio in Oratia.

Q) How did you select the actors and production crew?

A) John Goudge (Samuel Leigh) is my brother-in-law and he is a very good composer and actor. John made the soundscape for the show. Marion (Catherine Leigh) is an actress I know well. We worked together last summer on an outdoor show. She has very good pronunciation of te reo.

My wife Rev Robyn Allen Goudge helped with the hymns and our son Aidan was the technician.

Marion Hines was our patron and supporter. The WHS, Pitt Street Church and Ian Faulkner helped fund the project along with a grant from the PAC fund.