A Shortcut to Happiness

A Shortcut to Happiness is a comedy from New Zealand playwright Roger Hall and follows Therry Theatres popular season in 2023 of his play Four Flat Whites in Italy.  Directed by Kerrin White, it is an unlikely love story peppered with comedy from a group of women who are determinedly and desperately seeking male companions, and a self-righteous know it all couple, all of whom form a folk dancing class. If you are unsure about seeing the play, get there to see Greg Janzow’s hen pecked, down trodden, seemingly mute portrayal of Ray. Learning lines took no time for this role, but Janzow’s eye for detail with fussy business is a joy to watch and his teaming with indefatigable Sue Wylie, is perfect.

Russian immigrant Natasha, played by Shelley Crooks, can’t work as a teacher because her English is limited, so she tries to improve her income, and language skills, by running dance classes. Enter retired accountant, Ned, played by Lindsay Dunn who decides to take up folk dancing. Ned happily lives on his own but being kind, somewhat over optimistically, offers to help despondent Natasha sort out her woes. And so, the fun begins. Crookes gives an earnest performance, capturing accent, language and cultural differences confidently. Her wide-eyed innocent delivery of malapropisms like, “From my bottom to my heart” adds humour and credibility to her portrayal.

Dance class members including Deborah Walsh, Julie Quick, Gigi Jeffers and Sue Wylie create somewhat of a Greek chorus, or is it Russian, American and any of the groups that Rose Vallen has choreographed dance snippets for? The addition of Sebastian played by Frank Cwiertniak gives all of the ladies serious ‘heart flutter’ comedy opportunities, but the writing of the role feels like an add on, despite Cwiertniak doing everything that he could with the role.

On opening night, the audience responded enthusiastically, particularly to Natasha’s acapella solo, but sitting mid-theatre, I found that much dialogue was indistinct. When female actors in particular, delivered dialogue across or up stage, using their higher register, the impact of the comedy was unheard or lost. The angling of the two playing areas by White means that much of the dialogue is across the stage, so seeking seats in the front of the auditorium is wise if hearing dialogue is likely to be an issue. Having said that, Cwiertniak and Wylie’s projection means that they are easily heard and understood at all times.

The Therry production team is tight and well-organised, supporting the performers and performances effectively. I believe this play would not be described as a classic but still adds to our conversations in theatre. Much of the writing is obvious and sight gags involving women in shorts are certainly not 2024, but it is a light night’s entertainment that reinforces how wonderful and improbable love stories can be.

Jude Hines

Disclaimer: Jude Hines is directing a play for Therry Theatre in 2024.