Entitled Wonderful, the play has been in development for the past year in partnership with actors Blaise and Sarah Barham, whose SBZ Productions theatre company will premiere the show in a short season from tonight.
Huber, who also directs, said the play had gone through three major drafts, involving many hours of discussion and adjustment with the actors, until it was ready to be "up on its feet".
"Blaise and Sarah have been very generous with their time, which helped allow the play to fall into place," Huber said.
Sarah Barham said the process had been "fun and interesting", discussing the characters and looking at the rhythm of the dialogue.
Blaise Barham said it had been "fascinating, and an honour to be part of the entire process — quite different from working with a completed script".
"The words are so poetic, but it still holds together really well as a play."
Wonderful is the story of the divine Lady Hermione and her loyal butler Roberts, as they grapple with the important issues of modern life — biscuits, trousers, sausages, art and what to do about Penelope.
It also asks the age-old question of all great love stories: What is the price of following your heart and are you willing to pay it?
Huber said the old-school approach of the play was deliberate, and showed that older-style theatre could still have life and be valid today.
"In the context of romantic comedy, the protagonists often don’t know each other, but in Wonderful they have a long-standing friendship and routine," he said.
"It is interesting to look at how they think about their lives, the roles they both have, their sense of themselves and their own personal relationship."
For the Barhams, who have been studying theatre at the University of Otago’s School of Performing Arts for the past two years, the course and the chance to work with an established playwright like Huber has been of great benefit.
"We have learned a lot."
Wonderful opens at The Playhouse, Albany St, at 7.30pm tonight and runs until November 13. Tickets via eventfinda.
The play is sponsored by the University of Otago Humanities Performing Arts Fund.
