The cast of The Pink Hammer absolutely nail it. Photo / supplied
The cast of The Pink Hammer absolutely nail it. Photo / supplied
When it comes to building an excellent piece of theatre, the cast and crew of New Plymouth Repertory Society's latest production, The Pink Hammer, have absolutely nailed it.
Director Sharren Read has cast the play well, with the five talented and well-matched actors giving the production the strongest of foundationsfrom the start.
Brad Duynhoven plays Woody, the grumpy Kiwi bloke blackmailed into providing carpentry lessons for a group of four women who invade his man-cave and, slowly but hilariously, build a true friendship with each other and Woody himself. Despite the character starting off as a load of "typical male" cliches all thrown together, under Sharren's skilful direction, Brad gives the irate, beleaguered, and actually quite-nice-under-the-gruff-exterior Woody real depth, while keeping the character believable.
Nicola Bleasel plays Helen, the laconic, sarcastic, and decidedly anti the bring-a-plate culture of New Zealand womanhood horse breeder who is just there to learn how to build her own coffin. Her full-body physicality (and some scene-stealing facials), along with her near-faultless delivery of some great one-liners throughout the play make for a masterclass in comedy acting. She is well-matched on stage by Suzy Adair playing the nervous yet nurturing Louise. Just as Brad's character could be overacted and ruined by a lesser actor, so is the case for the role of Louise, and thankfully Suzy is anything but a lesser actor. She rises to the challenge of making sure the audience finds Louise as relatable as she is believable, while delivering some truly hilarious scenes.
Jacqui Penn plays the righteous, superior and all-knowing counsellor Annabel with a well-tuned balance between uptight and ready to unravel. The role of Annabel is probably the toughest one in this play, with a story arc that deserves a bit more attention than scriptwriter Michelle Amas gave it, but Jacqui takes Annabel, and the audience, through that arc with real skill.
From the moment Vicki-Ann Ritchie's character, Siobhan, crashes onto the set, bicycle helmet askew and words pouring out her mouth faster than she pedals, she is clearly made for this role. Vicki-Ann put plenty of energy into her performance, matching it with brilliant comic timing, and a beautiful Irish accent that was at its very best when she sang a lovely ballad at one moment that hauntingly lingered in the air long after the last note was heard.
The set and props crew are as deserving of applause as the cast itself in this production, putting together a man-cave that didn't just set the scene, but was at risk of completely stealing it too, had it not been for the calibre of actors involved. From the moment the curtain went up, revealing the well-stocked, slightly untidy shed, the bar was set for an excellent production and it didn't disappoint.
The play is funny but thoughtful, and thanks to the talent both on and off stage, it is a show you will be talking about long after the final scene.
