“Robbie” is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was the first of Asimov’s positronic robot stories. In 2016, “Robbie” won a retrospective 1941 Hugo Award for best short story. “Robbie” tells the story of Gloria, an eight- year- old girl, and her robot Robbie, designed to be her companion and babysitter. Gloria and Robbie have a very close relationship, always playing and sharing adventures. However, Gloria’s mother, concerned about the robot’s influence and the neighbours opinions, decides to get rid of Robbie, convinced that a machine cannot be a suitable companion for a child. The story’s central theme is the misplaced human fear of robots and technology. By contrasting the mother’s anxiety with the daughter’s unconditional love for the robot, Asimov argues that the fear is rooted in prejudice rather than logic.
The cast and musicians have been brilliant – throughout rehearsal and in performance. Because I developed a drama from the story and threw in eight new songs, it meant that we discovered things along the way. Rehearsals were characterized by a playfulness and flexibility, depending, at times, upon who was there.
Our production of Robbie demonstrates that in Aotearoa it is still possible to create meaningful work that is fresh, vital and new, providing the participants and audiences with a chance to experience something entirely different and relevant to the school.
Leads: Mother Anita Hout, Father Blair Corkery , Gloria Harper Carran, Robbie Amber Zhang, Dog Faye Ma, Mr Struthers Torsten Silander, Hal Naia Carson Neufeld, Gunslinger Eddie Eales
Production team:
Direction and design – Mr Jensen
Band director – Mrs Watson
Stage manager – Ms Hale and her stage crew
Sound & tech team – Mr Toohill, Lucas Lynch, Rory Fraser, Codey Henderson
Lighting – Mr Graham Eales
Props – Mr Jensen
Titanium dance – Mrs Pickford
Make-up – Mrs Pickford and Ms Roycroft
Many thanks to Mr Andrew Bolland, our Property Manager, for his unlimited help and support.
Special thanks to all the staff who assisted and contributed to a great production!
