Once on Chunuk Bair

Overview

Auckland Theatre Company is breathing new life into the rarely performed classic Once on Chunuk Bair. The story, by playwright Maurice Shadbolt, recreates a tragic episode of World War I and a defining moment in the development of a New Zealand identity.

It is August 8 in 1915. The Wellington Regiment, which is part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, commences an offensive just before dawn to seize Chunuk Bair, a pivotal peak overlooking Gallipoli Bay. As incompetent British generals look on from their battleships, the regiment captures the high ground.

But their success is only fleeting as the Turks launch a massive counter-attack. With extraordinary courage, the young Wellingtonians fight back, firing their own rifles and those of their fallen companions. Of the 760 men who reached the summit, 711 became casualties. A tale of heroism and heartbreak, Once on Chunuk Bair is a searing tribute to the sacrifices made by a generation of Kiwi men. Lest we forget.