Written and performed by Michael Downey

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Meet Peter- orderly during the week, ferocious warrior on the weekend. As he prepares for the weekend’s battle against the notorious Vikings, a long day at work changes his life. Time flickers. Empty hospital wards turn into long-forgotten battlefields and everybody fights for their lives. This is the basis for The Orderly, Michael Downey's poignant, heartfelt solo show.

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This comedic and moving play blends the world of the hospital with that of an ancient battlefield. Downey takes on all the parts of the play; ranging from the gorgeous nurse Donna to a semi-nude Viking berserker high on mushrooms and lusting for blood. 

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The Orderly is inspired by the life of the now deceased Peter Russell, whom writer and performer Michael Downey met when he worked as an orderly at Auckland’s North Shore Hospital. Peter, a small and frail man, was a hospital orderly during the week and fought as a Viking in the weekends as the member of the historical re-enactment group, the Auckland Norse. 

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The Orderly was the first production of The Rebel Alliance Theatre Company, founded by Michael Downey and Anders Falstie-Jensen in 2006. It went on to tour New Zealand for a number of years and was adapted for radio by Radio New Zealand in 2009. In 2013, Downey revived The Orderly for Probationary Theatre Company, in association with The Rebel Alliance, at the White Box Theatre, Seoul.

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This show is appropriate for all ages (aside from a few curse words)