Review: New Plymouth Repertory Society's Vino Veritas, running to April 30, reviewed by Ilona Hanne
In wine there is truth, and there's no need to whine about going to see this play - it will leave you absolutely thirsting for more of what was unquestionably some of the best acting I have seen in local theatre.
Like any good wine, New Plymouth Repertory Society's Vino Veritas is best enjoyed with good company, and the cast and backstage crew are certainly a great company. Everything about the show, from the props in the entranceway to the costumes, props, set design, lighting and sound through to the actors on stage, is top-shelf material.
Written by David MacGregor, the play is set in the living room of Lauren and Phil. It is the night of Halloween and the couple are joined by another couple, Ridley and Claire, as they prepare to attend an annual Halloween party nearby. Before they leave, however, they try out a mysterious South American ceremonial wine made from the skin of the blue dart tree frog, traditionally drunk by couples the night before their wedding. The play's title comes from the Latin proverb, which translates to "in wine, the truth", and the wine the couples indulge in is a truth serum, resulting in plenty of unbridled honesty as the wine flows and so does the truth.
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Advertise with NZME.As the play's wine connoisseur Ridley - played brilliantly by Bryan Vickery -would probably tell you, fine wine should be immediately appealing on first taste, followed by moments of more subtle depth before leaving you with some final lingering notes. While I can't speak for the frog skin wine, the play itself would certainly get a connoisseur's approval. From the opening lines to the last bow, the play was everything it promised to be. Entertaining, but with some moments of greater emotional depth leaving you thinking long after the final curtain, there were no sour notes to be found.
Chemistry is everything of course, in wine-making and in theatre, and the on-stage chemistry of all four actors was remarkable. They balanced each other out perfectly and their lines flowed as smoothly as the wine. And there were a lot of lines. It's a very verbose play and lesser actors could easily have got lost in it, but not this cast. While there were a few mishaps with candles blowing out or falling over, they never lost momentum.
Nicci Smith (Lauren) and Antony Jones (Phil) were a delight to watch, playing a couple struggling with finding a way out of the rut their marriage has become. They have the job of setting the scene for the night, with plenty of words to get through before they are joined by Ridley and his wife Claire (April Krijger), and they do so with aplomb. Antony is great fun to watch. His mannerisms and physicality on stage make his character very entertaining (especially when it comes to walking like a baboon) while Nicci takes what could be a two-dimensional unhappy wife/mother character and turns her into someone you not only know but identify and sympathise with.
Bryan's suave, condescending and uptight doctor Ridley is brilliant. He's an intelligent actor who provides the perfect foil for April's frustrated stay-at-home mum, who is seemingly naive but is actually hiding some interesting secrets. April, who originally directed the play before a cast injury meant she had to step in and take on the role of Claire at the last minute, did an outstanding job. The directing reins were taken over by John Lawson and while it's hard to tell which director made any decision or tweak, between them they did a fantastic job at putting together a play that sets the bar incredibly high for any future performances of it in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The set design was fantastic, with well-placed and chosen props adding to the scene without overly cluttering it. With all the play's action taking place in one location it could have felt static, but that was never the case thanks to excellent direction. The actors used all the space available to them not just well, but sometimes perfectly. One brilliant moment of choreography lifted the scene to the next level, as they posed for photos while answering questions from each other.
There is nothing to fault in this production, and while the characters may have sought to forget the events of their evening, you will find yourself wanting to savour and remember the experience for as long as possible.
The details:
What: Vino Veritas
Where: New Plymouth Repertory Society
When: April 19 - 30
Tickets: www.trybooking.com
