Christmas can be Murder

Playwright Devon Williamson is based at Detour Theatre in Tauranga, NZ, a coastal town just north of Rotorua.  It is just a hop, skip and a jump to Huonville from there. A season at Detour very much like a season at Huon Valley.

Williamson churns out one play a year. Many have the word “murder” in the title. Typically, they are set in one room, in a limited time frame. The cast is small and the characters wild and wacky but recognisable.

SunLive (The Bay News First) quotes Williamson on Tauranga audiences:

“They enjoy coming to the theatre and seeing something completely madcap - a nutty comedy that has a really warm ending. It is therapy. They've been able to come in and let go of everything else for two hours.”

Christmas can be Murder is undoubtedly a farce.

Main character, Brett, finds himself in a ludicrously improbable situation. Any number of logical actions would resolve the action but at every turn, the most unlikely course is taken. Brett, played by Gary Waterson, is the straight man who deals with four other unreasonable characters – some more likable than others.

Virginia Kamino (who took a very strong role in Huon’s recent production of Steel Magnolias) was possibly too young for the selfish mother of Brett and Simon. An older, more deranged portrayal might have made the character of Tess less objectionable.  Kamino is a solid and pivotal presence.

Norm Windsor has a charisma in his voice and physical portrayal which makes him right for the abhorrent Simon. For six and a half years, Brett has been covering for Simon who is not, as his mother believes, a project manager in Dubai, but in prison accruing debts to a protection gang. Tess and Simon are both difficult to like but Kamino and Windsor deliver solid performances.

Saahza Hensley plays a stereotypical Russian. Her accent is both impeccable and comprehensible. Her perennial proverbs are a running gag integral to her character. She can snore on command and is adept at physical comedy.

Maia Hensley delivers her lines with immaculate diction but is a little young for the sophisticated femme fatale, Gioli, and not nearly threatening enough. But then, the audience knows that Brett is never in any real danger, and, like any pantomime, all will be well at the end.

Devon Williamson likes a warm fuzzy ending. This is where Lauren Asschers (as Brett’s wife, Karen) comes into her own, taking charge of the denouement. The baddies are given their come-uppance, and Brett triumphs, albeit rebuked for being too generous, too accommodating and too easily hoodwinked. There is a message here; don’t let others impose too far on your generosity, even if they are family. The pantomime resolution has elements of Agatha Christie and everyone is exposed for what they really are.

The set, set dressing and lighting are all simple and adequate to the task. Laura Durdin is to be commended for Saahza Hensley’s special number and Mike Raine for sound effects.

Christmas can be Murder was chosen by young director Paige Hensley as a humorous vehicle for a small cast. She has done an excellent job in preparing this comedy for the stage.

Anne Blythe-Cooper

Photographer:  Mike Raine