Sex Fiend delivers on expectations

CONFLICT: The young cop (Colton Stuart) tries to settle a dispute between Brent (David Bramwell-Cooke), left, and Phil (Nikki King). PHOTO: MIKE OSBORNE

At a playwriting workshop held in Masterton a few years ago, eminent New Zealand playwright Roger Hall stated that some plays would attract attention purely by name.

The Sex Fiend, written by Stephen Sinclair and Danny Mulheron, and directed by Lynn Bushell, is a typical New Zealand farce written in the 1980s and confronts the issues of political correctness and gender equality.

My online dictionary describes a farce as "a comic work using buffoonery and horseplay and typically including crude characterisation and ludicrously improbable situations".

The Sex Fiend does this is in spades.

Straight-laced Anna (Sheri Wales) runs a women's-only poetry group but has no venue for the evening's meeting. She asks her friend Matthew (Danny Clenott), who has been appointed sexual harassment officer at his university, if they can use his flat.

Without warning Matthew's crude and repulsive cousin Brent (David Bramwell-Cooke) arrives, armed with mucky videos, girly magazines and a phone number for the local escort agency. His arrival changes the whole scenario and by the time the women from the poetry group, Phil (Nikki King) and Eileen (Erin Kavanagh-Hall) arrive, it's obvious trouble is afoot!

For an opening night, I was most impressed with the pace of the whole show which has to be kept up to speed to work. The cast did a splendid job in maintaining that.

Danny Clenott can always be relied on for delving deep into his character and his timing is always impeccable.

Sheri Wales is probably better known for her musical theatre having performed regularly at MATS, but she has a very pleasing presence on stage and her ensemble work with Clenott was lovely.

David Bramwell-Cooke was outstanding as Brent, having the audience in the palm of his hand the moment he came on stage.

The two poetry ladies, both making their stage debuts since high school, were a delight. Erin Kavanagh-Hall, a vision of loveliness in all her bright colours, was very convincing as neurotic Eileen, terrified of any man that came near her. Her recitation of her poem Revenge was one of the highlights for me.

Nikki King as angry, man-hating Phil would scare the pants off any man at 100 paces. She was hilarious as she prowled the flat, axe in hand looking for any lurking man.

The two cameos, Colton Stuart as the handsome cop who had a "special announcement" to make, and Diane Rutene who played Desiree from the escort agency, are both experienced actors and this showed in their small but important roles.

The set for this production was very well done. Well designed and the décor was spot on. The colours were reflective of the era and the furnishings were exactly right.

Carterton Events Centre doesn't lend itself to intimate theatre. As an audience member it does feel rather like being in a large warehouse. But I was pleased to be able to sit in the back row and hear every word.

This play is quite dated and the story is nonsensical, but the cast should be mightily proud of themselves and The Sex Fiend is certainly worth a visit. It runs until the December 5.