Amusing and clever

Ruthless!

By Kauri Theatre Company. Director Bonita Edwards. Gryphon Theatre 18 Oct 2023

There is always a joy in going to a theatre to see an unknown play or musical. You don’t compare it to other productions you have seen before and the story is fresh and new.

Ruthless! Is the story of a very generic housewife, Judy and her precocious daughter Tina, who is desperate to make it into the big time on stage and is told that she has the talent to make that happen. Tina is mentored by a larger-than-life character Sylvia. Tina auditions for the lead role in her school production, but is upset when cast as the lead’s dog, a non-speaking role. She will do anything to land the role of the lead…. It is a very clever and funny script that has a few surprises, not least of all, the very comic ending, but I will give nothing away here.

The set designed by Rob Romijn is wonderful. The first act is set in Judy and Tina’s apartment and is as you would expect a 50’s house to look like.  The second act is set in a penthouse apartment in New York and it looked as upmarket as it should.

Costuming was also of a high standard, most notably with Judy-a few of her dresses were spectacular and it really added class to this production.

The space at the Gryphon is quite cosy, so there were no mics, meaning projection was important and, while I was sitting in the front row, there was good volume and I would think even those in the back would have been able to hear easily. It is a good move to eliminate the need for mics when the venue allows it, they are costly and if they go wrong can ruin a show.  The music was provided by a sole keyboard so that needed to be and was balanced well.

The cast were all very capable and performed well. There was evidence I think of some illness in one or two voices, but this didn’t detract from the overall production. Special mention must be made of Sarah Fitzgerald who performed the role of the precocious Tina admirably. Her acting was very good and while a couple of times she would have benefitted from better timing on some of her lines, she did a great job. I can see her on stage for many years to come. There are also two other Tina’s cast who play on different nights, Addy Stone and Agatha McLeod.

Cameo roles are very fun to play as a performer, requiring fewer rehearsals and providing a major impact when on stage if played correctly.  Jane Keller was wonderful as the Broadway critic Lita Encore. She also came on in character pre show doing the safety and phone drill in a unique way that I appreciated. She had the best song of the night “I hate musicals” which provided lots of show references and a few belly laughs. Her diction was exemplary.

Bonita Edwards, who also directed Shortland Street, has delivered another great crowd-pleasing show.