Flaxworks presents Murder By chocolate
Friday 21st - Saturday 29th September at 7.30pm
(No show Monday or Tuesday)
Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, THE EDGE, Auckland
Book at Ticketek: ph 09 3075000 or www.ticketek.co.nz (booking fee applies)
Murder by Chocolate - Dark, rich and full of nuts!
Will Felicia Fargo romance writer and winner of seven wet pillow awards discover the truth? Find out in ‘Murder by
Chocolate’, a comic tribute to not only the original murder mystery, but to art, celebrities and of course, chocolate!
Phil Ormsby and Alex Ellis are back! With their new show ‘Murder by Chocolate’ the creators of ‘Biscuit & Coffee’ once more weave together food, death and comedy to bring you a murder mystery so funny you’ll choke on your
chocolates!
In 2005/6 Phil and Alex toured Flaxworks first production, ‘Biscuit & Coffee’ throughout New Zealand. Travelling on a shoestring budget in an ancient van affectionately dubbed the Biscuit
Tin, ‘Biscuit & Coffee’ played in over 35 venues nationwide. From its premiere in April 2005 it took on a life of it’s own, performing
in venues as varied as the Gaiety Hall, Akaroa to the Swamp Palace, Oruru to BATS Theatre, Wellington before heading to
the Herald Theatre at THE EDGE in Auckland, as part of the STAMP programme, in October/November 2006.
Their new work, ‘Murder by Chocolate’, premiered at BATS in Wellington in January and has since been performed in
Whakatane, Tauranga and most recently as part of the Cadbury Chocolate Carnival in Dunedin before the start of a
national tour and a return to STAMP. While performing and touring throughout New Zealand is extremely important to this
small theatre company they also plan to take the show overseas.
‘The main thing you need to know about this show is it is fun, come along expecting loads of laughs and loads of
chocolate. It’s based on the old style murder mystery movies only this time there’s a twist… it’s a chocolate rush to
die for!’ says Alex Ellis.
Alex Ellis plays Felicia Fargo, a disenchanted romance writer determined to reject the fluff of romance for the gritty
world of crime writing. Inevitably Felicia finds herself embroiled in a bizarre series of chocolaty murders based on her
own dubious crime novel. Alongside Dorian, her clueless assistant, played by Phil Ormsby, she attempts to untangle the
traditional web of lies and plot twists, and discover the truth behind the murders all the while battling her own
chocolate demons. In classic whodunit style the body count rises as the chocolate finger of suspicion points to…who? The
TV psychic? The crime-writing policeman? Or Felicia’s own mother, the greatest celebrity chef to come out of a Balclutha
bakery?
Phil Ormsby says “ ‘Murder by Chocolate’ still has the crafty wordplay people loved about ‘Biscuit & Coffee’ but having more than one actor this time means a lot more physical comedy thrown into the mix”.
ends