Unitec Play Set In 1920s Touches On Themes Still Relevant Today

Societal themes of gender and social justice, corporate accountability, workplace safety and workers' rights are as relevant today as they were in 1920s America; the period Unitec acting students are immersing themselves in Radium Girls by D.W. Gregory, which opens this week at TAPAC in Western Springs, Auckland.

Radium Girls is based on a true story of one woman’s fight for justice. It’s 1926. Radium is the new miracle cure for anything, Madame Curie is a global sensation, and luminous watches are all the rage - until the young women who paint them start to fall mysteriously ill. Grace, a dial painter, battles her former employee in court. Can she prove that the very element hailed for its medical marvels is causing a devastating illness? Will she see justice for herself and her friends before time runs out?

Unitec’s second year acting students, under the direction of A Slightly Isolated Dog’s Cherie Moore, will examine these pressing themes and the commercialization of science, the pursuit of both health and wealth, and the power of the underdog. The legacy of the Radium Girls reminds us of the ongoing fight for fairness, safety, and accountability in the workplace and society at large.

Unitec School of Creative Industries’ season of Radium Girls runs from 26-29 September 2024 and tickets are on sale at iTICKET.co.nz.

TAPAC, 100 Motions Rd, Western Springs, For ages 13+

Buy Tickets: https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2024/sep/radium-girls

Behind the scenes video from rehearsals: https://vimeo.com/1008238015 

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