A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody

Centenary Theatre’s final offering for what has been one of their most successful years in history, should see them continue their success with this audience-pleaser by Ron Bernas. A Little Murder Never Hurt Anybody won the 1991 Community Association of Michigan New Plays competition and has since become a staple on the community theatre circuit in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.

On New Year’s Eve, Matthew Perry makes a resolution that he will kill his wife Julia by year’s end so that he can have some fun, like holidaying in Aruba, having an affair, and playing golf. Divorce is too expensive so he will just have to murder her. Throw in a bimbo daughter Bunny, a butler Buttram who holds a secret, and an incompetent detective Plotnik who couldn’t find a clue if he fell over it, and you have a group of standard stock farce characters. Comedy is inherent in the premise and there are plenty of laughs, just not enough of them.

Playing an on-stage married couple for the first time, real life husband and wife Brian and Meg Hinselwood are a perfect fit for the Perrys, bringing genuine marital baggage to the warring couple. Brian offers a suave elegant portrayal of old money, whilst Meg counters with cunning and sophistication. Their scene where they switch drink glasses, one of which is poisoned, was played with finesse and great timing.

Melanie Pennisi’s Bunny triggered laughs with her malapropisms and general ditzy behaviour which are traits that enamour her to her upstanding fiancé Donald, played staunchly by Nathaniel Young. John Sayles had fun as Buttram, the put upon family butler whose long-held secret when it is revealed brings about a happy ending for all. Detective Plotnik was one of the play’s funniest characters. Speaking dialogue straight out of a B grade Hollywood gangster movie of the 30s, it was a gift of a role for Brad Oliver who punched the whacky lines home time and time again.

Choreographed on-stage scene-changes are de riguer with our State Theatre Companies at the moment and with this production Centenary follow suit. Moving to Leroy Anderson’s Syncopated Clock music track, Betsy Appelhof and Eric de Wit as Maid and Butler, swiftly changed the dressing around the excellent upper-echelon living-room set by Tristan Holland, one of the best I’ve seen on the community theatre circuit this year.

Peter Pinne