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Prats aplenty in chaotic, witty whodunit
Prats aplenty in chaotic, witty whodunit

Otago Daily Times

time2 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Otago Daily Times

Prats aplenty in chaotic, witty whodunit

The Fire Station Theatre in Mosgiel. PHOTO: ODT FILES I admit to being a regular fan of TV "whodunits", so was very happy when invited to review the Sunday matinee of Death by Fatal Murder, a Taieri Dramatic Society production currently mid-season at Fire Station Theatre, Mosgiel. The play is loosely based on an Agatha Christie novel and is considered a spoof, one of a trilogy written by Peter Gordon. The entire action takes place in a very authentic 1940s drawing-room set (which reminded me of my grandmother's sitting-room) designed by production and stage manager Christine Wilson. Directed by Alison Ayers, the incompetent, bumbling Defective Inspector Pratt (Matt Brennan) is called to Bagshot House where he leads a murder investigation aided by Constable Thomkins (Tabitha Littlejohn) and local amateur sleuth Miss Joan Maple, a dear little old lady excellently played by Gloria Harris. The first act is an hour long and rather chaotic and convoluted but all the "red herrings" are dismissed in the second act and the storyline is brought to a climax. The cast of eight all have prominence, and their roles are appropriately portrayed throughout. Other characters are the owner of the house Nancy Allwright (Maxine Sannum), her husband Squadron Leader Roger Allwright (John Rowe), Ginny Farquhar (Hannah Schoullar), Enzo Garibaldi an Italian gigolo (Kaiser Coles) and Welsh clairvoyant Blodwyn Morgan (Lorraine Johnston). The inspector is indeed an incompetent blundering prat and Brennan's lines, heavily overlaid with malapropisms and puns were delivered with clarity and precision throughout, causing the attentive audience to groan or chuckle as appropriate. Blodwyn suggests conducting a seance and makes contact with a Scottish poltergeist called Dougal McDougal. This calls for her strong Welsh accent to alternate with that of the voice of an elderly Scotsman, creating more humour and chaos but giving clues to the eventual outcome of whodunit. Amateur theatrics are indeed alive and thriving in Mosgiel and this was an enjoyable presentation from a very dedicated cast and production team. The season continues later this week from Friday to Sunday.

Murder on stage in Mosgiel
Murder on stage in Mosgiel

Otago Daily Times

time7 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • Otago Daily Times

Murder on stage in Mosgiel

The Fire Station Theatre in Mosgiel will complete a trio of murder mystery spoofs by Peter Gordon with a production of Death by Fatal Murder, staged over the next two weekends. Directed by Alison Ayers and featuring Matt Brennan as Inspector Pratt, the play continues the chaotic story of the hapless detective as he struggles with another mystery. Pratt's record of crime detection at Bagshot House is not enviable. In his two previous visits the body count mounted disastrously as he looked on, helpless and hopeless. Now he's back and, as usual, chaos reigns supreme. The follow-up to Gordon's plays Murdered to Death, and Secondary Cause of Death, Death by Fatal Murder promises plenty of laughs. The show is staged from July 25-27, and August 1-3, with performances at 7pm, and 2pm Sunday matinees. — APL

Weave Cacao Begins The Quest For New Zealand's Mousse Masters
Weave Cacao Begins The Quest For New Zealand's Mousse Masters

Scoop

time28-06-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Scoop

Weave Cacao Begins The Quest For New Zealand's Mousse Masters

Weave Cacao has launched a nationwide competition to discover New Zealand's Best Chocolate Mousse! Mousse Masters is a one-of-a-kind competition designed to captivate the food service industry, showcase the magic of Weave Cacao's couverture chocolate drops, and celebrate the artistry of New Zealand's chefs and bakers. Legendary chef Peter Gordon is on board as the competition's ambassador and Head Judge. Also on the judging panel are food writer and cookbook author Amber Rose and Weave Cacao co-founder Oonagh Browne, with two more judges to be confirmed. There are two categories in the competition – Pro Chef and Promising Young Chef – and some exciting prizes up for grabs. Pro Chefs can win a life-changing trip to Papua New Guinea with Peter Gordon and Oonagh Browne, where they will meet and greet with cacao growing communities in PNG, and learn the process – from tree, to bean, to couverture chocolate. The Most Promising Young Chef will win a year's supply of Weave Cacao couverture (40kg) and a two day Cacao Intensive Training Course with Oonagh Browne in Christchurch. Peter Gordon says 'I'm thrilled to be Head Judge for this competition, seeing as I could eat chocolate mousse for three meals a day! I've been following the Weave Cacao story for a while now and they're doing amazing work. It's great Pacific chocolate with real purpose.' Pro chefs can learn more about the entry process and submit their recipes here. Submissions are accepted from now until 30 September. The Promising Young Chef competition will be judged internally at NZ's top culinary schools. The finalists from both competitions will create and present their recipes at the grand final event at Elemental Cooking School in Auckland on the 21st of October, 2025. Weave Cacao Co-founder Oonagh Browne says 'We're so excited to see what New Zealand's talented chefs come up with! Weave couverture chocolate is of world class calibre and this is such a fun way to see it elevated in the most simple yet complex of desserts – the chocolate mousse. It will be an honour to host Peter and the winner in PNG and introduce them to our cacao farming family and what it takes to produce cacao on the ground in the tropics for our couverture chocolate.' Mousse Masters is presented in proud partnership with Bidfood, Pacific Trade Invest, Food Writers New Zealand, and Elemental Cooking School. Learn more about Mousse Masters and enter the competition at What is Weave Cacao? Weave Cacao intertwines premium quality cacao beans from passionate PNG communities and the expertise of master chocolatiers and craft chocolate makers from Aotearoa. Working directly with cacao-growing villages and a small factory in PNG, our team brings you silky-smooth, vegan 58% and 70% couverture drops to elevate your creations. Made from flavourful, organically grown cacao, our chocolate is 100% plant-based and focused on empowering PNG communities. We're committed to a sustainable, ethical supply chain, with transparent pricing and long-term partnerships. This is a new paradigm in chocolate you can feel good about. Perfect for: baking, desserts, drinks, ice cream, and (of course) mousse! Born in NZ ~ Crafted in PNG.

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