Trees Beneath The Lake

Greed, deception, and family drama are at the heart of Auckland Theatre Company's next production; the world premiere of Arthur Meek's Trees Beneath The Lake.

Set in present day Central Otago, financial wizard William Campbell (Hurst) returns to his family home to salvage his golden reputation.

It was there, when William was young, that the Campbells lost their battle to save the family orchard from being flooded in the creation of the Clyde Dam

Under scrutiny by the Financial Markets Authority, William is forced to enact an audacious plan to save his marriage, fortune and reputation. But as the family reconvenes to fight for their future, a devastating new light is shone on their past.

In this world première, past and present collide and startling revelations rip through genteel pleasantries, as a family steels itself once more for a fight to hold onto the past. THE TREES BENEATH THE LAKE examines the fictions we tell ourselves and those we love in order to keep our personal stocks high. Urgent, relevant and dramatic.
Arthur Meek is one of the most exciting new voices in New Zealand theatre. In 2012, he was the recipient of the Bruce Mason Award for Playwriting and, in the same year, became the third recipient of the Harriet Friedlander New York Residency. In 2011, his play On the Upside Down of the World was presented as part of Auckland Theatre Company's main bill and continues to tour arts festivals locally and throughout the world.