A Great Raw: A Theatrical Debate About War

In a gREAT rAW, voices of the ancestors come together to question the greatness of World War 1 and uncover the raw intergenerational trauma that was gruesomely brought about, not so long ago!

Set to uncover some of the histories of WW1, a gREAT rAW entails one actor playing seven roles, using clown, bouffon, music & multiple masks.

This theatre performance is inspired by conscientious objector & farmer Archibald Baxter (father of poet James K. Baxter), who wrote his wartime experience in the book "we will not cease".

Archibald Baxter was one of 14 anti-militarists forcibly transported from New Zealand to the front lines of World War 1 for refusing to submit to conscription. By transporting the men to the western front and subjecting them to military punishment, the NZ government hoped to break their resolve, forcing them into active service and using their submissions as a warning that opposition to the war would not be tolerated. Baxter however would not be swayed.

This workshop is proudly sponsored by the Riverside Community Trust.