Review: Pear Shaped at The Pumphouse Theatre

The Pumphouse Theatre next to the still waters of Lake Pupuke is the ideal venue for a show that rummages around the bland surfaces of the great Kiwi barbecue and reveals something of the human misery lurking beneath the small talk and sizzling sausages.

The debut work by local drama teacher Andy Saker shows an easy familiarity with the North Shore's casual backyard culture.

The naturalistic dialogue clearly struck a chord with the opening night audience with shrieks of recognition erupting as the conversation bubbled glibly over the weather, choice of bait and the intricacies of barbecue gas valves.

One of the biggest laughs came when a seriously intoxicated couple strolled off-stage with an offhand question about who's driving?

The instantly recognisable character types are convincingly brought to life by a strong cast, though the more persuasive interpretations come with the minor characters.

Peter Coates gives a winning performance that captures the easy-going conviviality and fierce loyalty of a bloke's best mate.

And Amelia Guild delivers a star turn with a drunken explication on the trials of call-centre workers who must simultaneously deal with the hazards of answering the phone and taking messages.

Robert Owens, as the lycra-clad neighbour with a talent for ill-timed interruptions, is also used to great comic effect and these minor characters have an over-the-top exuberance that often upstages the more naturalistic drama of the main characters.

James Crompton engenders considerable sympathy in the main role with his portrait of a well-meaning, middle-aged slacker who is blissfully unaware of the duplicitous conniving of a visiting Australian, played with unctuous charm by Matt Halliday.

The play builds towards a moving climax that brutally deflates the illusion of happiness.

But, at the key moment, the play seems to suffer a loss of nerve with the two main characters rushing off-stage rather than confronting the well-structured crisis.

The final image of a broken man seeking solace by planning a trip to the garden centre is dramatically unsatisfying, though it does have the compelling force of documentary realism.

Pear Shaped is running at The Pumphouse until Saturday.