There's more in the air than the smell of fresh washing when Pamela Maude makes a routine visit to her Hill's Hoist clothesline. She's not quite prepared for the well-dressed stranger €” short of stature but with impeccable taste in ties €” lying with a kitchen knife protruding from his chest.
There's more in the air than the smell of fresh washing when Pamela Maude makes a routine visit to her Hill's Hoist clothesline. She's not quite prepared for the well-dressed stranger €” short of stature but with impeccable taste in ties €” lying with a kitchen knife protruding from his chest.
With this discovery, the impressionable young mystery addict is thrown into her very own real-life crime investigation, discovering that her questions about the enigmatic "Fred" are inextricably bound up with her own quest for happiness.

Her gruesome find is just the start of a bizarre and hilarious chain of events for her, her wannabe-actress sister and their 30-something friends, which includes the discovery of more coincidental corpses, fierce sibling rivalry, unforeseen sexual coupling, a mysterious double-pregnancy (possibly brought about by divine intervention) and an uncloseting....

Assisted by a used-Porsche salesman, a futures broker and a confused detective, can Pamela solve her backyard murder mystery and find the key to happiness for them all?

Described as "casually demented but seriously funny", this Australian comedy by Beatrix Christian has played to sell-out seasons throughout Australia since its first performance in 2000. The Elmwood Players production, directed by Anita Hallewas, marks its New Zealand premiere.

Hallewas, who played Pamela Maude in a 2001 Melbourne production, says she loved the play from the moment she first saw it performed.

"It's well-written, it's quirky, it makes me laugh," she says.

Also making her New Zealand directorial debut, Hallewas says she is thrilled to be working with a great cast at Elmwood.

"We've got an awesome cast; they're really good €” bouncing off each other, effervescent, vibrant. Every cast member is a bit OTT, which really suits this strongly character-driven play."

Structured in 28 scenes over seven different locations, the play poses some interesting logistical challenges, which are well-met by the minimalist set design by Julian Southgate, allowing for maximum flexibility.

While their characters face a veritable barrage of bodies, no-one in the cast has yet found a corpse under their own clothesline, though Ricky Didham (Barry) managed to scare his mother half to death when he hung a newly-washed wig on his family's clothesline. His policewoman mum, ever on the alert, screamed in horror when she saw what she thought was a decapitated head hung there by a vengeful perpetrator to scare her.

Note: This play is rated M and is for a mature audience. It contains strong language and adult themes.

Performance Details

Dates: Wed to Sat, 26-29 March & 2-5 April
Tickets: $18
Time: All shows 7:30pm
Venue: Elmwood Auditorium, 31 Aikmans Road, Merivale, Christchurch
Bookings: phone (03) 355 8874 or book online.

27/03/08