The Garden Party

Adapted from one of Katherine Mansfield's best known short stories, this restrained culture-clash-in-colonial-Wellington tale follows Laura (Alison Routledge from The Quiet Earth), an idealistic teen preparing for her family's garden party. The raising of marques and arrangement of cream puffs and canna lilies is disrupted by news of a neighbour's accidental death. Laura protests that the party should be cancelled, but her mother disagrees. A visitation at the working man's cottage down the hill and an encounter with the victim’s corpse piques Laura's class consciousness.

Isn’t life ...?

– Laura’s famous closing line

Key Cast & Crew

Alison Routledge

As: Laura

Alan Lindsay

Writer, Director, Producer

Katherine Mansfield

Original Author

Lucinda McDonald

As: Mrs Scott’s sister

Maggie Eyre

As: Mrs Scott

John Watson

As: Mr Sheridan