The challenge with reviewing Hudson & Halls Live! is to not fall into a never-ending recipe of culinary puns and fabulous exclamation marks, darling!
The Hudson & Halls Live! experience begins in the foyer as stage manager Ngaire Watkins, played by Melissa Lawlor, informs us that we are the audience for the live filming of the Hudson and Halls Christmas special.
Inside the auditorium, the stage has been transformed into a television studio complete with camera tracking and industrial lighting. There is a warm ambience to the 80s inspired kitchen set that was superbly designed by Daniel Williams. The appliances and décor provide a trip down memory lane as an upbeat soundtrack gives the theatre a sense of time and place.
Lawlor’s enthusiastic portrayal of somewhat naïve Ngaire is infectious. Without giving too much away, the whole audience has Ngaire’s back by the end of the show. Ray Powell plays Mr Lynch, the studio’s technical manager who has a short fuse and a long to-do list. Powell’s frazzled Lynch becomes the lynch pin of the studio. His clever understated nuances are as captivating as Lawlor’s physical comedy.
But make no bones about it, Simon Leary as Peter Hudson and Jordan Mooney as David Halls are the absolute stars of the show. Leary’s smooth delivery of unflappable Hudson pairs perfectly with Mooney’s delivery of the outrageous Halls.
Leary studied at Otago University (BA in Theatre Studies) and has also graduated from Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. His training is evident as he seamlessly brings Hudson to the fore, capturing the subtleties that made the original duo so iconic. Leary’s performance is both heart-warming and heart-wrenching as he portrays Hudson grappling with the era in which he lives and the associated stigmas that surround his relationship with Halls.
Mooney is on a trajectory towards super stardom. His recent body of diverse work on television including playing bogan Eric Grady on TV3’s successful show “Westside”, and as Jordan Luck in The Exponents band biopic “Why Does Love?” is exemplary. Hamilton, he is one of us. I recommend that you see him in this role because he is about to hit the big time. Big. Time.
Director Matt Walker has a winning combination with Leary and Mooney. It appears Walker has created shapes in which the actors can grow and develop each scene. This style of stage direction is a stroke of genius because alongside the often camp, mainly hilarious and occasionally poignant dialogue, Leary and Mooney cook numerous dishes. Anything can go wrong. And it does.
Hudson & Halls Live! challenges and reinvents the genre of live theatre. The introduction sets up that it is an unusual play. The actors continually break the fourth wall and mix and mingle with an amused audience. It is difficult to tell where the script ends and the ad libbing starts. Hudson & Halls Live! is a fantastic vehicle for strong actors to test their chops. Walker has assembled an exceptionally strong cast and they will have you laughing throughout with their banter and timing.
On until 11 August 2019 at Clarence St Theatre, this show is a must see for fans of the original Hudson and Halls, cooks, proud Hamiltonians (Walker is also born and bred here), and those who just want a damn good night out.
Photo: Mark Hamilton
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