A lot has happened since I reviewed the premiere episode of The Young and the WITless season 7: Small Town, Big Hearts (see here). This episode 7, transferred for one night only to the Improv Festival, heralds what can only be a hugely dramatic finale next Wednesday, back at its home base (the new Fringe Bar, 26 Allen Street, 8pm).

How better to bridge the gap than with director Jennifer O’Sullivan’s portentous introduction to Episode 7:

“Come with us over the hill to Te Awaiti, to a small town with a dairy, a hotel, and a whole lot of heart. In this town where nothing ever happens, anything could happen… and in our previous 6 episodes anything has indeed happened.

“We’ve had international online romance, a poetry jam to win the heart of a woman, sugarlini binges leading to vandalism and threats, secret pregnancy, marital troubles, loose piglets, bacon making, a hostage situation and almost stabbing, and now, a serious case of AMNESIA!”

Blimey! As played by a head-bandaged Steven Youngblood, Keith’s amnesia sure is a blow to the only stable relationship in town. He doesn’t even know who Gracie (Christine Brooks) is, let alone feel attracted to her. And she’s carrying their baby. Or is it?

What’s more it turns out, in the course of this episode, that Sharlene McKenzie (Kirsten Price) from the dairy, scheming opportunist that she is, is out to convince Keith that she is his one true love.

And not only is Lou Scravvell (Anton van Helden) Keith’s father, but Keith’s mother was an Aussie Sheila, which of course pleases Gracie.

Nicola Pauling’s Serene Bouvoir reveals, in soliloquy, that – as we’ve expected all along – the apparent randomness of her choosing exile in Te Awaiti is a lie; ’er reason for coming is very calculated.

But she leaves it to her next illicit encounter with Holden Fairlaine (Lyndon Hood) to discover more – and his ‘offer’ that chickens have a deep significance in the mystery spins this plotline off into eco-terrorism territory. Aotearoa’s “100% Pure” façade is about to be blown apart!

Meanwhile Prudence Fairweather (Kate Wilson) is still smarting from the ignominy of having Sergeant Flynn McGaskill (Barry Miskimmin) cry out “Sharlene” whilst in her intimate embrace. And Flynn has reverted to playing it all by the book … at least until the challenge of explaining himself has been met.

Probationary Constables Suzy Thompson and Emma Thompson (no relation) – delightfully realised by Amy Williamson and Mary Little – complete the cast, counterpointing the high drama with the clown-like comedy of enthusiastic innocents who only want to get it right.

Director Jennifer O’Sullivan guides and provokes as necessary from her sideline mic, but most of the time she’s as highly entertained as we are by what the characters are doing and how the plots are progressing.

Musical wizard Tane Upjohn Beatson does wonders with the ‘soundtrack’ and rises to the occasion superbly when Jen challenges Luce and Gracie to express their separate inner turmoils in song – so much so that everyone picks up on the “love I have (or don’t have) for you (or whoever)” theme to build it into a brilliant multi-phrased finalé that Andrew Lloyd Webber himself would have been proud of.

The Young and the WITless season 7: Small Town, Big Hearts – created by Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT) – fairly hums and froths with authentic soap opera spin. Roll on next Wednesday! (I’m gutted I cannot be there.)
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The Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT) is back with a 7^th season of its improsoap format, The Young and the WITless, subititled, this time, Small Town, Big Hearts. As well as featuring a brand new line-up of characters in a whole new setting, it is being performed – over the 8 Wednesdays of August and September – in the Fringe Bar’s new Allen Street venue.

Forget the fancy Conference Centre planned for Auckland; Te Awaiti – just over the hill from Wellington – has all you could ask for in a Resort and Conference Centre, run by local boy builder Keith Grant (Steven Youngblood) and his bottler of an adoring Aussie wife Gracie (Christine Brooks). Perhaps.

In this opening episode there seems to be a bit of confusion as to whether the Conference Centre is a going concern or in the process of being build, by Keith. But the hotel is operating and a lone Frenchwoman with an aura of mystery about her, Serene (Nicola Pauling), is the new arrival.

Exactly what the relationship is between biodynamic viticulturists Prudence Fairweather (Kate Wilson) and Holden Fairlane (Lyndon Hood) also seems uncertain, given he suddenly takes to calling her “mum”, which she resents. I assume this is to signify they are in a relationship that has gone stale, hence his besotted attraction to Serene and hers with the local cop, Sgt Flynn McGaskill (Barry McSkimmin).

Roaming the land, keeping an eye on things and offering advice based on his sound knowledge of nature and natural urges, is Lou Scravel (Anton van Helden), recently made redundant by DOC. He’s not a happy chap.

There are five more actors in the line-up to come, so who knows what will evolve. Meanwhile a strong foundation has been laid with well-conceived characters – each with a past and desires to drive them – and relationships that could go anywhere, in true soap opera style.

Audience contributions are not asked for in this format, which doesn’t stop some people suggesting solutions when an actor gets stuck, as happens a couple of times this night. If such ‘ask fors’ are not factored into the format, I think they could be, by way of getting us more involved from ‘out in left field’ as it were.

A bit of tentativeness on the parts of some actors causes them to interrupt each other a few times as an idea is forming. Fair enough too: there’s no place for wimping in improv, although leaving spaces open to see what evolves is grist to the mill as well.  

What does drive the action from the outside is provocations from the Director, Jennifer O’Sullivan, perched at a mic behind the audience. She may, where necessary, suggest a scene between ‘x’ and ‘y’ with objective ‘z’ to move things along, or throw in some side-coaching to give a scene stronger focus or to up the ante.

The unfortunate incident with the handcuffs is the most memorable moment of episode one, not to mention the impetuousness of Holden and Serene. There will be consequences …  

If these are not enough to bring you back, a number of intriguing character elements have been seeded as potential generators of dramatic conflict. For example, Gracie is missing her family back home in OZ while Keith is making noises about kids of their own.

Does Prue protest too much that she wants to do good for the community when it’s clearly the Sergeant she wants to do? Is Flynn McGaskill’s procedural correctness masking anarchistic urges? Will Lou Scravel turn out to be a loose cannon? What is it that Serene has run away from? And where to from here for Holden?

The big hearts in this small town promise much.

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