Experience the ANZAC Spirit: Mark Wright's One-Man Play "Voices from Gallipoli"

Voices From Gallipoli – Engaging and Educational

Mark Wright has written and performs in this specially crafted play. He masterfully explores the camaraderie and resilience demonstrated between soldiers, medical staff and families during one of history's most challenging times.

Mark has performed six short seasons of his play "Voices From Gallipoli," previously under the working title ‘The Gallipoli Monologues,’ which has received rave reviews. 

In "Voices from Gallipoli" I am aiming to offer a deeply engaging experience where audiences can learn a lot while being entertained. There is widespread misinformation about Gallipoli, and in writing and performing this play I am hoping to make this history and the stories of the characters accessible and accurate. 

Mark Wright – Writer and Performer, Voices from Gallipoli. 

Diverse Characters and Real Stories

Following a successful repeat season by popular demand in Waihi, this production is already leaving audiences both laughing and crying, all while gaining a profound understanding of the events.

"Voices from Gallipoli" features nine diverse characters, each brought to life by Mark’s transformative performances. From an 18-year-old conscript to an 80-year-old returned serviceman, these characters are discovered throughout the play, creating a rich tapestry of perspectives. The characters that Mark explores include:

• A World War I veteran lamenting his son’s departure to fight in World War II
• A pompous British general reviewing colonial troops
• A wounded Australian Light Horseman on a hospital ship
• A New Zealand lieutenant colonel discussing the fog of war with a dispatch runner
• A doctor in Cairo briefing nurses, addressing the often-overlooked role of women in the war
• An iconic Kiwi sergeant mentoring young soldiers
• An 18-year-old boy suffering from dysentery, poignantly receiving a letter from his mother
• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of modern Turkey, expressing unity between fallen soldiers
• An aged Gallipoli veteran reflecting on the political climate during the Vietnam War.

Uniting History and Humanity

Mark’s portrayal of these characters isn’t just about recounting historical events. It's about injecting humanity into the facts and figures, making history resonate on a personal level. As one audience member noted, “You mourn for them, you grieve with them but in almost the same breath you smile at them. With a deft hand, Mark balances the sombre stories with humour”.”

"Voices from Gallipoli" isn’t just a play; it’s a tribute to the ANZAC spirit, an educational experience, and a heartfelt connection to our shared history. 

Tickets on sale now Don’t Miss Out

This unique theatrical experience is a must-see. The one night only Whitianga performance is on June 14th, starting at 6:30 pm. A limited number of tickets are on sale now booking online or from Whitianga I-Site or Monkey House Lounge and Cabaret.

Booking online link 

• Students $10
• Adults $25

About Mark Wright

Mark Wright is a distinguished graduate of Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. He has appeared for every professional theatre company in New Zealand and toured extensively throughout Australasia. His notable performances include "The Rocky Horror Show," "Bouncers," "A Way Of Life," and "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." With a career spanning over 40 television series, programmes, and specials, Mark has won two New Zealand Film & Television awards for best performance. Recently, he toured New Zealand with two roles in "Ladies Night" and has just finished filming for Jason Momoa's Minecraft movie. His other recent stage productions include:

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Court Theatre
• 8 Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography – Silo Theatre
• The Audience & 6 Degrees of Separation – Auckland Theatre Co.
• Ladies Night – Centrepoint Theatre

Peer Review from Director, Writer and Producer Peter Feeney

I’m still reeling, even a week after seeing it, from the beauty and power of Mark Wright’s tour de force, one person show, ‘ Voices from Gallipoli.’ An actor at the height of his powers, Mark is one of the few actors I can think of who can convincingly jump from playing an 18-year-old conscript to an 80-year-old veteran, without missing a beat, and carry the audience with him. And what a ride!

At times joyful, at others profoundly moving, and always true. All nine of his characters were beautiful drawn: different enough and compelling enough to enlist us this theatrical journey all the back to the heart of our nationhood. It’s a one man show in more ways than one, being written and directed by Mark as well. And what writing!

Exhaustively researched, stitched cohesively together, dialogue that sang and a story that avoided the pitfalls of sentimentality or heliography, but instead aimed for humanity – and hit the bullseye. Altogether Mark’s talent and heart wove together a tapestry of triumph, tragedy, wit, and humanity, that made sense of the phenomenon that was this awful campaign. 

Sparsely but precisely staged, hilarious, and gut wrenchingly moving, if there’s any ancestry in your past that spans back to this conflict, and anything in your DNA that relates to sacrifice, loss, suffering and heroism, this is the play for you. 90 minutes of sageness and savagery that will get you thinking not just about our nation’s past, but how much things really don’t change.