It is a dark and stormy night, and strange things are afoot at the Barraclough mansion.
With the recently deceased master of the manor lying in state in the library, bumbling solicitors Blundell (Ian Reeves) and Mickleby (Jason Fraser) arrive to read his will, in which he divides his fortune between his evil, scheming stepdaughters Faith and Hope, and his staff.

This does not sit at all well with the terrible twins.

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But wait, the old man’s corpse is not in the coffin, and his won’t be the last body to mysteriously disappear before this long, fateful night is over.

This sharply scripted “whodunnit” has been a stage favourite since Charles Dyer wrote it in the early 1960s, because of its slightly chilling storyline, memorable characters and flourishes of classic British farce. Something for everyone, you could say.

Amidst the ensuing swirl of drama and comedy, there’s a palpable rising tension with the realisation that one of the people in the house is the murderer, doing ghastly deeds via a secret panel that allows him or her to roam surreptitiously and disappear at will.

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But is it the maid, the cook, the secretary, the chauffeur, the doctor or the undertaker? There are motives and opportunities aplenty. And still the lightning flashes.

The actors assembled in this taut ensemble piece all deliver strongly defined performances, and the living room set is impressive. The lighting and sound are crucial elements in the heightening tension.

Maggie Pirie in her dual roles as the vile twins Faith and Hope is magnificent. She is menacing in both parts, playing the scheming, greedy, bullying but slightly different Cruella-type characters with full conviction. This is a multi-star turn. Pirie’s light has shone brightly in Rep Invercargill’s recent productions and here she digs deep for another standout leading performance. She is a very fine actress.

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Ian Reeves and Jason Fraser are integral figures in the piece. With the Barraclough stately home cut off by a flooded-out bridge and the phone out, it falls on the haughty, pompous Blundell and his anxious, nervy sidekick Mickleby to solve the case and expose the killer. Both parts are written big and the actors play it to the hilt, with maximum physicality.

Sophie Worner deserves special recognition. Due to the illness of original cast member Jemma Hillman, she picked up the prominent role of maid Mabel four days before Tuesday’s opening night, and you would never be able to pick it. She revels in the part of the timid employee who finds herself in a position of unexpected power. She is always nothing short of wonderful.

Peter Taylor is again excellent as the comically short-sighted, hard-of-hearing, absent-minded doctor Brown, and yet again Matt Rohan steals scenes with ease with his very funny portrayal of the somewhat ghoulish mortician Sorrell, who speaks in a kind of laconic Boris Karloff deadpan and becomes animated only when he spies a potential new interment. Both actors are Invercargill’s go-to guys for ridiculously kooky characters and their comedic timing is impeccable.

Julie Smith as long-suffering cook Agnes, Victoria Morgan as the compromised secretary Anne Beale and Stephen James as her fiancé, shifty chauffeur Ted Johnson, all contribute greatly to the rich characterisation of this thoroughly engaging production.

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Jonathan Tucker has pulled together a fabulous cast for this play, which he’s had his eye on for yonks, and well worth the wait it is.
Local theatre is in tremendous shape. Treat yourself and see this cracking production.

REVIEW by Chris Chilton
WANTED – ONE BODY By Charles Dyer
Directed by Jonathan Tucker
Repertory Invercargill
5-9 April 2022
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Review: Wanted – One Body

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