Plays about carpentry are a gift for puns, especially double entendre.
I could have delved into my toolbox and started this review with one.
But playwright Michele Amas has that covered so, in
the words of my equally enthusiastic friend: “I wish Foxton Little Theatre could put on more shows.”
The six-show season of The Pink Hammer, which opened on August 11, is already sold out. So my wish is the theatre brings this comedy to Palmerston North, where it is set.
I’m unsure of Amas’ connection to Palmerston North; she died in 2016 and Wikipedia makes no mention of her living in Palmy.
But she has captured enough of Palmy’s quirks in this play to demonstrate she did her research. “Palmerston North is as flat as nana’s tits.” Pineapple Highway is so much better than Pioneer Highway.
One quibble is people like to say they live in Westbrook instead of Highbury, but the script refers to West End.
Disgruntled and misunderstood Woody (Aaron Rolls) finds four women in his man cave. They want to learn some carpentry skills but their teacher has disappeared.
Louise (Lisa Frith) is a nervous nurse between jobs. Helen (Jillene Durham) is a retired horse breeder. Siobhan (Anna Berry) is a vet receptionist from Ireland and Annabel (Petrina Paxie) is a counsellor with a pamphlet for everything.
I have no idea where Foxton Little Theatre finds such talent. I also have no idea how Rolls kept a straight face as the witty lines kept coming around him. He has just the right voice for a downtrodden Kiwi bloke.
Berry is magnificent as the troubled Siobhan and her accent is pure acting. Our table was abuzz trying to find out if she is Irish. She is not. Berry never slipped and added depth to the play. What an achievement.
Frith handled her character’s blossoming well and we have it on good authority she really was scratching her arms.
Durham had great facial expressions. She was suitably grumpy and Paxie suitably annoying.
Each character gets a chance to shine and share their story, which also means there is nowhere for the actors to hide.
The quintet all had a lot of lines, which must have required much practice. I didn’t spot any missteps.
Occasionally the jokes came so thick and fast the audience’s laughter drowned out the punchline.
Amas wrote The Pink Hammer in 2014. The issues the characters struggle with are so relatable: cancer, estrangement, elder abuse, the effect of new relationships on longstanding ones, feminism, loneliness, and annoying book group members.
Experienced director Colleen O’Leary has done wonders. None of the actors looked wooden (okay, I let one pun slip from the toolbox).
I have never seen such innovative use of a sponsor’s sign. Thank you Property Brokers for your ongoing support of this theatre that continues to shine.
Once again the table settings were a talking point. Pink is this winter’s fashionable colour after all.
Come on, Foxie, come to Palmy.
