Holden Street Theatre Inc’s final production for 2025, the comedy play Harvey, is currently playing to rave reviews.
Written by Mary Chase, Harvey won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1944, beating Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie. It was a controversial but very popular choice. The play ran for four and a half years on Broadway and remains the fourth-longest-running play in the history of Broadway.
In the lead role of Elwood P. Dowd is South Australian theatre and radio royalty, Peter Goers. Peter spoke to Glam Adelaide about Harvey, his love of theatre and what it is about the arts that led him to forge such a successful career in the industry.
“Theatre has been my life since 1971, when I played the Artful Dodger in Oliver at the Woodville Town Hall. I was a very nervous performer then – I still am actually. I was standing in the wings and I was absolutely terrified – I had no more pee to give. About three quarters of an hour into the first act I was thinking, ‘This is ridiculous. I’m just going to go out there and make a fool of myself. I should get on my bike and just ride home.’ I ended up going on stage and I got a laugh from my performance. There is no greater drug than the rush you get when an audience laughs in a positive way to something you have done on stage. At that moment, my life of performing was formed and I have been seriously hooked on theatre ever since. It’s been my life.”
Over the past few years, Peter has directed several incredible productions for Holden Street Theatres, which is managed by the wonderful Martha Lott.
“I knew Martha as a child. Later in life I directed her in Private Lives at the Theatre Guild as well as The Cherry Orchard and then Gypsy at the Odeon. She started Holden Street and I suggested we do California Suite at the venue. It was January of 2003 and it opened the theatre. California Suite is four one act plays set in a single hotel room in Los Angeles. I directed three of the plays and the late great Geoff Crowhurst directed the play with Martha and I in it. Then I got my job on the ABC for 20 years and I couldn’t do much theatre. I directed several cabaret shows for other people but it was very difficult because I was working nights. So it was only when I left the ABC I was able to start directing again, and Martha was very keen to partner with me to bring some incredible pieces to Holden Street.”
In Harvey, Elwood P. Dowd insists on including his friend Harvey in all of his sister Veta’s social gatherings. Trouble is, Harvey is an imaginary six-and-a-half-foot-tall rabbit.
This is not the first time that Peter has played Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey. We asked him what it is about this play that drew him in to be in it a second time.
“I did it with Matthew Byrne of blessed memory in 2001 and I loved it. Elwood P. Dowd, whom I am playing, is a kind of mystic and lovely man. Acting, of course, as you know, is a wonderful thing because you get to take a holiday from yourself. I enjoy that. Harvey is one of the most performed comedies in the world. For 81 years, it’s been done in every corner of the world because I think it speaks to identity and friendship and it’s a good time for that sort of feel good experience.”
The production features an incredible cast of South Australian actors and is directed by the brilliant Rosie Aust.
“Rehearsals have been fascinating, you know, with me trying to learn my effing lines, which is not my gift. Line learning has never been my strong point. It’s always a struggle for me. I can only learn lines if someone sits with me and feeds me. It’s probably just as well, because if I was a good line learner, I would have bored everybody with my King Lear by now. Rosie has been a wonderful director to work with and it is a lovely cast surrounding me as well. They are all incredible actors.”
Harvey is now playing at Holden Street Theatres and runs through to November 22.
“Part of the magic of the play is that you begin to see this invisible rabbit. I hope that we can, to coin the phrase, pull a rabbit out of a hat. But I am terrified. I’m nervous, even when I’m directing. But it helps me find the character in myself. Since I did the play last time, I don’t think Harvey’s ever left me, and I hope it has the same effect on audiences this time around as well.”
Harvey
Holden Street Theatres
Until 22 November, 2025
https://www.holdenstreettheatres.com/harvey
Photo credit: Toni-Lee & Admin/Marketing
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