The words of those in Christchurch during one of the country's biggest crises provided the script for the play Munted, which features 15 different characters portrayed by three actresses.
Jackie Shaw, a former WHS pupil, and her co-writer Victoria Abbott asked more than 80 people in Christchurch in the months following the February disaster what was really going through their minds.
Interviewees included TVNZ reporters Jack Tame, Matt McLean and those on the street at the time, such as a 4-year-old preschooler and panicked shopkeeper.
Miss Shaw said the play told the stories of loss and gave an unfiltered perspective on one of New Zealand's worst tragedies.
Miss Shaw and Miss Abbott's "The Bare Hunt Collective" production took more than eight months to put together.
Premiering in Wellington to a sold-out crowd, the play then moved to Christchurch.
Tomorrow the show will move to Wanaka and then Dunedin for two shows, on Friday and Saturday, before going to Auckland.
Miss Shaw said she was most excited about performing in front of a home crowd.
"I am very excited to be bringing a piece of work I'm very proud of to my home town.
"Having the chance to perform in front of a home crowd feels very special."
"We are also excited to be touring it back to where we started investigating this form of theatre."
Although the subject matter of the play is serious, Miss Shaw promised some humorous undertones for the audience.
"Munted finds laughter amongst grief and a strengthened community in the heart of the shaken city."
• Tickets available by emailing barehuntcollective@ gmail.com. Some door sales.
