Brilliant effort from Imagine's talented cast

October 17th, 2013
[Reviewed by David Armstrong]

It's rare that I come away from an opening night of a play feeling so confident that its four-night run will be an undoubted success, but seeing Imagine Theatre's "The Big O.E." is one of those events.

The play, which will be performed for the next three nights at the intimate theatre in Woodlands Ave, provides excellent and sure-fire entertainment and a display of some accomplished comedic talent in Motueka.

A lot of hard work by actors learning heaps of lines, together with inspiration from dedicated director Murray Owen and his tight production crew, come together to make a thoroughly enjoyable night out.

The play, an adaptation from the original written by Court Theatre actors in Christchurch, is an adult comedy involving just the right sized cast for the plot and theatre. There was some "adult" jokes, but mostly it was good clean fun for all.

The cast are mostly Kiwis from Motueka and surrounds doing their big overseas trip. Plot changes make the romantic leaders lesbians due to an oversupply of good females at audition time, but the result is quite convincing. All players are involved in one way or another with a confused love triangle and a drug smuggling plot.

The play takes a bit of time to get going, with early scene-setting dialogue a bit clunky and forced, but this is often the case in comedies. You have to get to know a bit about the characters before you can start to laugh with (and at) them.

But within 10 minutes the clever (and sometimes corny) jokes start and never really stop, right through the two-hour story (including the 20-minute interval).

All actors played at least a solid role. But stealing most of the scenes were the two retired sisters played by Helen Mayhew and Emma Ryder. Admittedly they had some of the best set-ups and lines, but they also shared a completely convincing banter-filled chemistry.

In some of the best comic duo scenes I've watched, their timing was perfect and their body language exactly right. Other budding actors would do well to watch how Helen and Emma were still fully in their roles even when not speaking but just standing in watch.

The props team also deserve a word of praise for the varied and colourful costumes worn by these sisters, as well as for the rest of the cast.

The main lesbian love interest was less convincing. Robyn Langridge and Molly Dyer performed well, but did not impart a sense of depth or intimacy in their relationship.

Lovers going off to Europe with the idea of getting "married" (it's set back in the 1970s) would be expected to show a great deal more gravitational body language, but a lot of their dialogue didn't flow all that well and often they were facing the audience full on while turning their heads to speak to each other.

Both have strong voices and good diction, so they should have inclined their bodies more toward each other while speaking and do a bit more touching and gesticulating. Molly will improve in her stage presence as she gains confidence to be more active while not actually speaking. Robyn, as Trudy, did the grumping bits well, but only on a couple of occasions did we see a lovely glowing smile suggesting she was actually happy and in love.

Apart from the sisters Gracie and Jean, the other scene-stealer (and scenery stealer) was teenager Halina Horn, playing the loud-mouthed, know-it-all, larrikin Aussie. Halina certainly didn't hold back, perhaps maybe slightly overdoing it at times, but she was a great asset to the play, convincing and energising.

The other main players were all very good. The gorgeous Claudia Manderson's French speaking was very impressive (even if we had no idea what she was saying), including through the interval serving refreshments.

Annelies Goemaere played the scheming drug runner with aplomb. You could feel her unease as each hiccup emerged in her plan, her relief when she found a temporary solution, and her humiliation when finally undone.

Ben Whitten did well as the easy-going lifestyler making a living from running his tourist van. However, his two dramatic speeches to the audience didn't quite work for me.

And Tahi Richards was brilliant as the slightly greasy, randy official in each of the countries the travellers passed through. His role in the final Greek denouement was delicious.

Another great point was the musical ending, ensuring everyone went home with a smile on their dial.

For opening night there were only about 30 in the audience - about half the hall's capacity - and I hope the remaining houses will be packed. They deserve it!

Comment by Coralie Smith:
[Posted 19 October 2013]

We went Thursday night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would agree with your commemnnts David. I hope the actors will take on board your comments as they are helpful without being unkind. They obviously enjoyed working together and I admire how they can get up there let alone act. I hope Murray Owens isn't going anywhere. He seems to inspire people in the theatre.

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