Raise the Hammer
By Sophie Tonneau
Translated from the French and Produced by Genevieve Trilling
Directed by Patricia Marceau
Featuring Genevieve Trilling and Christian Smith
An almost full house gave last night's performance rapt attention, much hearty laughing reaction, and a rousing ovation at the end. We had a lot of fun, very surprising for a story about an unlikely killer and his beguiling and charming very likely victim.
It's the way it is with the French and their disarming insouciance concerning human misbehaviour. Only they can skim lightly through the bad stuff while still keeping the tension and suspense of the subtext alive and beating.
It's contemporary, somewhere in a simple and secluded country house in France. She lives alone and her name is Helen. (Not Elene, it's French and she hates the French of it). Pretty in pink, she is, child-like but quite grown up. His name is Simon. He's answered her ad for household helper, and luckily enough he has all the handyman requirements as well as being a hunk.
Let's not spoil this by telling you what secret mission Helen has in mind for Simon. In a less Gallic story there'd be this "I'll Be Back Before Midnight" plunked in our laps. No, from her first entrance, actor Genevieve Trilling is the French for sly and impish ingenuousness.
Whatever she is, she is not a bad person, and we are soon enjoying her plot. Her performance is a jewel of creative skill. Christian Smith makes the most of his role as the device in the story while matching Trilling's ingenuity with his own well-practised expertise.
The play will be performed in English on Sunday at 12 N.
TNgM
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