Roger and Pip Hall combine forces to present a celebration of Plunket in New Zealand. At times hilarious, wonderful and emotional - rather like parenthood really - this play will delight and entertain. Commissioned by Plunket and produced by the Fortune Theatre, 'Who Needs Sleep Anyway?' is a song of exultation for the Plunket nurses (and Plunket mothers!) without whom generations of New Zealanders would not be quite so hale and hearty!

The Plunket Society was born in Dunedin on May 14th 190. It was a routine, unremarkable day, except for one thing. At the Town Hall in the early afternoon there was an unaccustomed bustle. Dr Truby King, Superintendent of Seacliff Mental Hospital and a well known campaigner for a number of causes, had called a meeting of ladies at 2.15pm. Some came by tram, several came by carridge, a few in those noisy newfangled motors. These were women with both a social conscience and a degree of influence. For the past 100 years Plucket has grown and developed; stretching the width and breadth of New Zealand. Happy Birthday to all Plunket babies!

Meet Baby P, a giant wise-cracking baby with attitude. From the moment he’s born until he’s off to school at the age of five, he takes us on a journey about the trials and tribulations of what it’s really like to be a baby. From first smile, first tooth, first steps through the terrible twos, toilet training, tantrums, and out the other side, Baby P entertains us with his frank and flippant commentary of what it really means to be a baby in the 21st century.

Meet Polly and Paddy, the overtired, well-meaning parents of Baby P. We track the ups and downs of being a first time Mum and Dad. Will their hopes and dreams of being new parents be met? Will they ever get another good night’s sleep? Will they ever have sex again? Through Polly and Paddy we explore the joys and hardships that every new parent goers through with heart and humour.

Meet Nurse Daisy, a Plunket nurse from a bygone era. Scarily strict and severe, she explores the Plunket milestones over the last one hundred years – the development of the Plunket nurse, the Karitane movement, car seats, fundraising, immunization, well- child checks, Plunket line, and that iconic record of baby’s progress, The Plunket Book.

And lastly, the man who gave life to Plunket. Meet Sir Truby King. The life and times of the man himself, his hard-working wife Bella, a hobbyhorse and several pet lambs. From humble beginnings in Dunedin through his tireless campaigning for children’s welfare to the only private citizen ever to be given a state funeral, Sir Truby is one of the most colourful characters from New Zealand’s history.

Narrated by a giant baby and an old fashioned Plunket nurse, “Who Needs Sleep Anyway?” is a fun filled evening of fun, frivolity, hysterics and history, songs and satire, as we celebrate one hundred years of bringing up children in New Zealand.

Comments:
Authors' Note: Plunket originally approached us to write something for the centenary, the idea being two short plays to be shown on the same night. This idea was quickly vetoed in favour of collaborating on a show together. The show format enabled us to explore a wide range of topics and styles, many different colourful characters, as well as incorporating 100 years of history. Eighteen months later, Who Needs Sleep Anyway? is the result. Pip, former Plunket Baby and now Plunket mother (Billie, nearly five and Tamai, three) concentrated on the contemporary aspects of the show. She was able to tap into her own experiences as a new parent to bring Polly and Paddy to life as well as going through the same milestone with her children as Baby P experiences. Roger did much of the historical research and fell in love with what he discovered. He was spoilt for choice and in the end the tricky part was deciding what to leave out. “It’s an amazing organization, having done so much good and achieved so much over the years.” Both writers also talked to Plunket nurses who are working today and are full of admiration for the work Plunket does after realizing what a tough job it often can be, and the grim situations the nurses can find themselves in. They found it ironic that, in some ways, Plunket has gone full circle and many of the conditions that led to its foundation are now back with us again.