Rest homes are proving to be fertile ground for playwright Roger Hall as he glides past 40 something years of delivering box office gold to New Zealand theatre.
Last Legs has all the elements of Hall's inimitable brand arranged with the cosy convenience of a well-designed retirement unit. The sharply drawn characters canvass a range of recognisable Kiwi types and grant audiences the pleasure of seeing their own stories presented on stage.
Vivid observations of personal foibles generate plenty of humour and a hint of pathos as characters reflect on the disappointments that occasionally bring them to the brink of despair. A smattering of gentle satire on political follies and pop-culture trends is served up with a generous dollop of Benny Hill style sexual shenanigans.
The entire package is neatly wrapped in a flawless dramatic structure with a frenetically funny finale and director Colin McColl adds some amusing physical theatre in staging a geriatric game of bridge.
If the formula is starting to look a bit tired, the laughs come thick and fast, and the drama is enlivened by performances from some of our finest acting talent. Louise Wallace is feisty and engaging as the long-suffering wife of a dodgy real estate agent with an electrifying stage presence thanks to Mark Hadlow's bravado performance.
