Kaity Brown
The farce "Self Help," by playwright Norm Foster, is full to the brim with wry humour, Freudian slips, quick-and-dirty decisions and get-rich-quick schemes.
The hilarious, snappy and witty play is directed by Tanya Laing Gahr and produced by Tony James.
The plot revolves around actors Cindy and Hal Savage, ridiculously short of cash, who decide to break free of their old lives, trading them in for flashy, phony new roles as self help "experts."
Soon they have it all — fans that worship the ground they walk on, money coming in faster than they can spend it.
But their new lives also attract some unwanted attention. Journalists and detectives lurk outside their door at the most inopportune time – the gardener has gone missing and Mr. and Mrs. Savage are caught right in the middle of it.
Trishia Woodley plays Cindy Savage, the woman who shuffles between spoiled childlike tantrums ('I want it NOW') and honest bouts of guilt and regret for her phony life advice.
Stuart Fink is Hal Savage, the lanky cut-and-dry, equally-as-greedy husband to Cindy. He's bold and loud, quick-tempered and grudge-holding, paranoid and rash-natured, but with a soft and sensitive underbelly.
Lisa Aasebo plays Ruby Delvecchio, the take-charge leopard-print-wrapped agent you've always wanted. She's a sassy and sharp no-nonsense gal with a dash of the patronizing parent.
Fiona McIntyre plays Bernice, the air-headed broken-record twitchy maid, who serves as the scapegoat for the Savages' stress.
Brent Gill is Detective Snow, the to-the-point velvety-voiced cop who persistently has a quizzical look on his face. Despite his reputation, we soon and abruptly find out his life is falling apart at the seams.
Jeremy Verkley plays Jeremy "Cold Hard" Cash, a cold-hearted conniving investigative journalist looking for something to bring the Savages down.
But it is not just your typical farce, hinging on repeated wry jokes or slapstick.
It's layered, with sobering comments that sting. Its complicated web of relationships reflects the more shadowy consequences of fame.
It shows the unethical actions of an investigative journalist and the gullible nature of the public in a meek maid who has memorized every line of a fake self-help novel written by two greedy actors.
Will the Savages finally find happiness with their new over-privileged life?
Some of the wit is unparalleled, with laughable irony and word-slips that are just too perfect.
"Self Help" is playing at Centre 64 in Kimberley nightly at 7:30 from July 9 to July 27 with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. Tickets can be ordered by phone at 250-427-4080, bought at Centre 64 in advance or purchased at the door.