Returning to Detour Theatre in the Historic Village for the opening night of My Inlaws are Outlaws! was like renewing a cherished acquaintance with an old friend. It almost felt like "coming home".
And by crikey, the show wasn't bad either.
This comedy, penned by resident playwright Devon Williamson, began life at Detour eight years ago. Since then it has been around the world, with performances in several countries, and has now come back to its starting place for a second run.
The theatre's plan in staging it again is to appeal to the many thousands of new residents who have moved to Tauranga in the interim.
Having been around long enough to have seen it the first time, I can report that this production is altogether more boisterous, more polished and yes, even funnier, than the original.
The story revolves around mild-mannered librarian Annie (Rianne Bidois), who finds herself dumped in the middle of the most outrageous family of in-laws by her husband Dane (Alex Dixon).
As if Dane's sister Desiree (Katherine Knight), Grandma (Jane McKenna) and Granddad (Devon Williamson) were not off-putting enough, Audrey (Allison Stewart), the family matriarch and Annie's mother-in-law, wants her bumped off.
When Annie is left alone to look after the family home for the weekend, Russian assassin Natalya (Sandra Saller) turns up, with a contract to kill her.
"It's nothing personal," Natalya assures her.
"Well, it's pretty bloody personal to me," Annie protests.
Next to show up is Italian gangster Rosa Botticello (McKenna again), with instructions of her own, to kill Natalya. The laughs came thick and fast as Rosa met her untimely demise when Annie accidentally "fried" her pacemaker.
But it was when sinister Irish villain Finn (Williamson) and his bumbling son Donal (Glen Morris) added to the mayhem that the comedy cranked up into overdrive.
My Inlaws are Outlaws! has all the ingredients for a fun night out, in a country where we are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy such things.
The show runs until March 27.
