Review by Mark Sherry of “Phoebe, She Wrote” Presented by Phoebe Maher

Imagine a party where all the funniest people you’ve met got together and you laughed so much that you knew you’d remember it forever. That is what the opening night of “Phoebe, She Wrote” was like. What an amazing way to start the Anywhere Festival!

Phoebe, She Wrote is a laugh-out-loud riot. It’s a zany whodunnit farce, with a wonderful cast of over-the-top characters. Phoebe Maher is the Creator, Producer, Director, and Writer, performing as herself. We gather for the launch of her self-help book, ‘Season Yourself: A Guide to Emotional Flavouring.’

Phoebe is a celebrity who is graciously handing out photos of herself and inscribing personal notes to the audience members.  She is a star and we are her fans, and she is comfortable with that.

Unfortunately, Phoebe is murdered. We don’t see it but we must nevertheless solve this whodunnit. It is an absurdist comedy, so we are not alone on our quest – Phoebe’s ghost is there to guide us. This is a show designed to make you laugh – even the characters’ names tell you that. Could the murderer be Librarian Sebastian Von Snobbington Wordsworth III (Sebastian Dimech), maintenance worker cleaner Con Spiracist (Lisa Withers), or even Detective Fanny Fox-Hunt (Will Collits)? Part of the audience’s job is to help solve this mystery. Any of these characters (except for Phoebe, of course) could be the guilty party. 

Audience members get to participate in fun but not intimidating ways (for instance, voting on who they suspect is the murderer or, if they wish, asking questions of the suspects).

Each performer brings their own unique comedic skills to their roles. Phoebe Maher leads the story with just the right balance of charm, confidence, good humour, and commitment to self-care – quite an achievement for someone who has just been murdered! Sebastian Dimech is hilarious, combining a pompous air of snobbery with a foreign (and perhaps feigned) accent which itself became part of the comedy. Lisa Withers is both convincing and funny as a maintenance worker who hates her job and barely tolerates those around her.

Will Collits is hilarious in his role as the Detective too, bringing an added sense of energy and absurdity to the show.

This show is perfect for the Anywhere Festival because it incorporates an unusual theatrical setting (the New Farm Library Meeting Room) throughout the script. A library is the perfect place for a book launch, and the library setting is thoroughly embedded in the script, including the backstories of the characters.

This ensemble piece is terrific.  Shows at the Anywhere Festival don’t last long – see this show while you can!

This is a review of the opening night of “Phoebe, She Wrote” which was performed on Friday 1 May.

The final show of Phoebe, She Wrote is on 3 May @ 2:00 pm