REVIEW: Audience shows appreciation

The world premiere of Roger Hall's new comedy concludes a year of stimulating and varied programming at the Fortune. Lighter in tone than many of Hall's other plays, A Short Cut to Happiness focuses on retired people whose concerns include the lure of discounts, the possibilities of meeting new people on Facebook, and the difficulties of opening jars.

It's also a love story. Russian immigrant Natasha can't work in New Zealand as a teacher because her English is limited, so she tries to improve her income, and language skills, by running dance classes. Ned, one of her pupils, seems to have answers to at least some of her problems, but his innate decency and Natasha's fierce determination turn the path to happiness into an obstacle course.

The set, designed by Peter King on a revolving stage, alternately represents a church hall equipped with a Zip and a decades-old photo of the Queen, and the living area of Ned's house. Lara Macgregor directs.

As always, Hall's characters are wonderful. Natasha (Elena Stejko) is shrewd and funny, but the speed with which she gets into a financial mess highlights the difficulties of living in a foreign country, learning its rules and finding out who you can trust.

Recently widowed Ned (Peter Hayden) is sad but charming, and it's easy to see why the women in the dance class, especially desperately dotty Coral (Lynn Waldegrave), like him. U3A enthusiast Bev (Mary Sutherland) is relentlessly drab, while henpecked husband Ray (Simon O'Connor) amusingly develops his own kind of defiance. Laura (Sylvia Rands) and Janet (Cathy Downes) find their friendship tested by Laura's newly widowed state, and Sebastian (Patrick Davies) has a brief but devastating effect on everyone.

And there's dancing - Russian, Greek, Polish, Israeli and more, and all greatly appreciated by Saturday night's audience.

 - Barbara Frame