Death by Chocolate

‘Death by Chocolate’ is a very funny thriller written by Paul Freed, a South Australian theatre critic that was involved with the Adelaide theatre scene for 50 years.

This quality production is presented by The Ellenbrook Theatre Company in conjunction with Baker’s plays. It is showing at The Ellenbrook Arts Centre, 90 Main Street, Ellenbrook. This is a very comfortable and well equipped 180-seat theatre.

The evening performances are on Friday 30^th and Saturday the 31^st at 7.30 pm; the Sunday matinee on the 1^st September starts at 3.00 pm.

 

 

The stage is at floor level. There is no proscenium arch and no wings only a rear wall of flats.

However, the scenery is well constructed and well painted to give a most convincing office scene (design and painting by Ian Howard).

 

         It is late at night and Henry Meadowbrook (John Milbourn), the owner of a luxury health farm, is seated at his desk when behind him a secret panel in the bookcase slides open, a gun protrudes and Henry is shot through the head. The panel slides closed.

        The office door opens and Henry’s old retainer and butler, Alfred (Richard Hadler) comes in, cleans the gun, places it in his employer’s hand and calls out that the boss has just committed suicide.

       A few weeks later, we join the new owner, Lady Riverdale (Meredith Daniel) who has made her fortune from manufacturing quality chocolate but has now branched out to health spas. Riverdale is backed by her secretary, with the unfortunate name of Dyslexia (Emma Foggerdy) and her new lackadaisical general manager, John Stone (Ryan Marano). When the girl in charge of the gym, Rita (Amber Moore) enters the office and challenges the owner, the toffee nosed Riverdale loses her posh accent and speaks in broad Cockney. What has Rita got over the owner?

       There is another death and the incompetent resort’s nurse, Anne (Jordan Hartley) and the overtly gay fitness guide, Dick (Jack Williams) are panic stricken. Only the excessively obese daughter of the previous dead owner, Sweet Pea (Bryony Oliver) seems unperturbed – as long as she has an endless supply of popcorn and chocolate she is happy. The food prepared by the internationally famous TV chef, Edith (Judy Bakker) is the suspected cause, but yet another death occurs. Nosey parker, newspaper reporter, Margaret (Jenn Finnon) seems to be showing a little too much interest in the health spa happenings, as does the crime writer, Edwina (Lyndsey Turner) who is a paying guest at the resort.

       Who is carrying out these random killings? Can the killer be caught before more deaths occur?

 

 

This play is a good, solid well-written ‘whodunit?’ which requires strong direction (Debbie Williams - excellent) to ensure that no unintended give-away hints are made as to the killer. This is a comparatively new, community theatre group, yet the pace was admirable and the chemistry between the whole cast was superb. Then throw in the delivery of the hilarious one-liners, puns and general confusion – much of which came from spa manager John Stone, the lines were perfectly delivered by Ryan Marano who had the most magnificent laidback delivery, perfect for the part. It meant that some of the lines were lost on the audience, but that is their problem, most lines brought chuckles from the assembly.

The costumes ranged from the glamorous, to the butler, nurse and the wild gym employees, well thought out by Jan Oliver. The makeup and numerous wigs were well supervised by Sylvia Guest. Lighting effects and sound was well designed and operated by Mark Turnbull. All rounded off with an easy to read, colourful programme – Carol Harris and Jan Stevens.

This is a difficult play to present convincingly, but this troupe was magnificent.

A very funny play, which I saw 8 years ago and this time I still didn’t guess the killer. Strongly recommended.