A plucky young detective taking on his first case, a weary, whiskey-soaked, old-timer saddled with the new kid, and a femme fatale all wrapped up in red. It's a genre we've all seen time and time again but a new Australian musical makes it work thanks to a sparkling cast and witty wordplay.
A beneficiary of New Musicals Australia's recommitment to foster young Australian musical makers, The Detective's Handbook is a collaboration between writer and lyricist Ian Ferrington and composer Olga Solar and is a fabulous beginning to their partnership.
Zipping along on a wave of intricate rhymes and funny repartee, the actors really get to play with this work, fully committing to the broad genre strokes of their characters and mining even the most innocuous moments for a laugh. Though bit players, Christopher Horsey and Lara Mulcahy, almost steal the show with a beautifully timed tap dance routine, Justin Smith and Rob Johnson's detectives are pitched just right and Sheridan Harbridge is the evening's MVP as she pulls triple duty and gives each of her femme fatales distinct personalities. Played on a beautiful black and white Justin Browne set, under the guiding hand of mentor/director Jonathan Biggins, The Detective's Handbook has a bright future.
