Auckland Theatre Company’s 2025 season welcomes back a much-loved Kiwi character in Roger Hall’s latest work, End of Summer Time. 

This production, directed by Alison Quiga, runs from June 17 to July 5 at the ASB Waterfront Theatre and promises a blend of humour and keen social observation.

As someone new to Auckland, and learning to love the city despite its eccentricities, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a character like Dickie Hart. But Hall’s writing quickly draws you in.

End of Summer Time marks the third outing for Dickie Hart, following C’mon Black! (1996) and You Gotta Be Joking! (1999). 

Now older, Hart has settled in Auckland, having reluctantly followed his wife Glenda’s wish to be closer to their children and grandchildren. As he tells it, he agreed only because Glenda couldn’t live without him.


The play’s audience, many of whom likely remember Hall’s earlier works first-hand, is clearly the demographic Hall is writing for. And Dickie, with his dry wit and boomer sensibilities, is both a familiar and polarising figure. 

His casual sexism and stereotypical jabs (particularly in the first half) are cringeworthy at times, even when delivered slightly tongue-in-cheek. 

Glenda, portrayed through Hart’s lens as the classic “nagging wife”, initially feels like a dated caricature. But Hall pulls the rug out in the second half, and what begins as “a comedy for your dad” shifts into something quite moving.

Andrew Grainger shines in the one-man role, delivering a nuanced performance that captures both the humour and heartache of a man reckoning with ageing, loss, and identity. 

His emotional range left more than a few members of the audience both chuckling and sniffing into their sleeves (in that order). 

Artistic director Jonathan Bielski handpicked Grainger for his “rumpled charm” and “comedic chops” – qualities that serve him well in this demanding solo role.

Now celebrating his 16th play with Auckland Theatre Company, Sir Roger Hall proves yet again why he remains a cornerstone of New Zealand theatre. 


Director Alison Quigan, a long-time Hall collaborator with 48 years in the industry, steers the production with assurance. 

The design team is made up of John Parker (set and costume), Phillip Dexter (lighting), and Sean Lynch (sound). They create a clean, immersive world that allows Grainger’s performance to take centre stage.

End of Summer Time runs for 1 hour and 50 minutes (including an interval) and contains some offensive language. 

It’s a fitting, funny, and unexpectedly moving meditation on ageing, marriage, and identity. 

And it is reassuring to know that if Dickie Hall can find his place in Auckland, then there’s hope for the rest of us.