Most of the time, we go to the theatre to step into someone else’s life, a world far from our own. But End of Summer Time brings us back to Auckland, to a version of home that feels both familiar and freshly observed.

 

Dickie Hart, a retired man who has moved to Auckland with his wife to be closer to their grandkids, takes us on a journey through the recent years of life in this city. Through his eyes, we experience the charm, quirks, and frustrations of Auckland living - the things we have come to take for granted. With every grumble, Dickie delivers a dose of hilarity and nostalgia that hits close to home. 

 

There’s something deeply comforting and engaging about hearing our lives reflected back at us through this - by no means a grand drama, but an intimate monodrama filled with small, specific, familiar details: apartment living, city traffic, awkward social encounters, the insidious ache of ageing and change. Dickie might be grumpy, but he is truly lovable with his sharp humour and disarming sincerity.

 

With just a chair, a few simple props, and subtle lighting changes, the staging remains minimal but effective, keeping the focus entirely on the storytelling. The performance is carried with warmth and authenticity. The actor behind Dickie Hart, Andrew Grainger, holds the audience with ease, creating a sense of intimacy in the same way as we’re listening to a neighbour tell his story over a coffee.  Every pause, every raised eyebrow, every sigh is perfectly placed to draw laughter or reflection. 

 

With fun, authenticity, and originality, Sir Roger Hall’s excellent one-man play captures the rhythm of our everyday lives. Told entirely through a 120-minute monologue, the narrative flows effortlessly about a life of an ordinary man, a city, and the ways of adjustment and adaptation when both start to change. End of Summer Time brings you home and invites you to see it anew.

 

A heartfelt, hilarious reflection on life, ageing, and the city we live in, End of Summer Time by Sir Roger Hall invites audiences into the world of Dickie Hart — a grumpy yet lovable retiree living in Auckland who charms us with his sharp humour and endearing warmth. A one-man play that feels both personal and universally familiar.