Maul of the Dead

‘Maul of the Dead’ is a gripping play written by Kansas-born, award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter and playwright Mitch Brian. Dr. Mitch Brian is a screenwriter and assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Missouri University. He has sold more than two dozen scripts to major production companies. His script writing commissions have come from major names in Hollywood such as Oliver Stone and Geena Davis. Having recently turned 50, Mitch is now tackling film directing.

Phoenix Theatre Inc and Dark Psychic Productions boldly present this 80-minute, dark horror comedy at the Phoenix Theatre, Memorial Hall, at the corner of Rockingham Road and Carrington Street, Hamilton Hill. The dates for the season are 10^th, 11^th, 16^th, 17^th and 18^th at 8.00 pm, and a matinee on 18^th May at 2.00 pm.

         As you enter the entrance hall of the building, the sandwich board man warns you that ‘The end is nigh’. You realise that you are now a customer in a shopping mall. It is Kansas in the late 1970s. 

        You are shown perfumes by two smartly dressed sales assistants, Charlie (Kelsie Anderson) and Mitzi (Kate Lloyd). As you look at the fascinator and headband counter a brash, obnoxious Cockney girl, Donna (Molly Kerr) in a Sex Pistols’ outfit tries to get friendly. She then abuses the poor charity worker (Paula Simcock) in charge of the very worthwhile Brain Foundation stand. Put a donation in their can and get a free LP to keep – thanks to Mills Records.

       As I am looking at the displays in this shopping mall, a police officer (Mark de Vattimo) shouts to the security guard (James Buckland) to close the main doors. “They are coming”. As the main door slam shut, another police officer, (Ryan McNally) is seen clawing at the outside of the door. Blood is pouring from his neck. Behind him can be seen half a dozen zombies approaching. The officer is allowed into the mall before the doors are again secured. 

       Soon the SWAT team arrive, two of them, Frank (Kathleen Uhlmann) and Lewis (Chris Northover) take charge. The wounded police officer is whisked off for treatment, the janitor (Chris Doney) is called to clean up the mess. The SWAT team guide us along the mall passage, with windows on both sides. Outside, slowly clawing at the glass is a couple of dozen expressionless, staring, white faces. You can feel a slight nervous smile as you feel grateful to be on the inside of the glass. 

      We are quickly shown into JC Penney’s department store (the auditorium). We sit in the dark and watch as the guards check the building for the living dead. Outside the store window, we see a group of Zombies approaching. The guard fumbles with his bunch of keys, trying desperately to lock the security grill. Perfume girl, Mitzi spots one of her clients, TV star Wendy (Beth Krapljanov) and her partner, Chopper John (Glenn Scott) fighting through the crowd to get to safety. As the grill is closing, punk Donna spots her boyfriend, Cody (Anthony Smith), guitar in hand staggering to the door. Will he make it before the doors lock?

      What is to happen to the group? Will the Zombies break through to the audience? Can the biker, Chainsaw (Pat McMahon) and his Moll, Throttle (Sheryl Gale) save the day, or will that Zombie (Devetta Ridgwell) kill them first in a flesh eating frenzy?

      The team know how to permanently kill the Zombies, so will good overcome evil? Or will you be lucky to get out alive?

The two extremely capable directors, Jayde Clark and Shaun Griffin, have gathered a tremendous team of around two dozen actors. As well as those mentioned above, there were the zombies – Michael and Andrew Surjan, Gabbi Guidone, Mike Kaval, Nikayla Besgrove, Penny Taylor, Nikita Harwood, Celeste Eden, Tristan Bernet, Valerie Geeves, Gareth Everall, Renae Jones, Rach Hayter, Daniel Muller and Aliti James. Initially, these actors may be thought of as having ‘bit’ parts or as being simple extras, how wrong can one be? The effort that they put in, to get their pathetic ‘please help me’ expressions correct and the walk just right was very worthwhile – every single one was a star. One weak link, one single hint of a smile or reaction would have killed the effect. This pure mass of walking dead was threatening; half a dozen would have been worrying but not nearly so menacing.

The shopping mall design (Brian Dennison) was clever, allowing the full action outside to be seen whilst protecting the ‘goodies’. The lighting design (Pauline Lawrence, operator Alex Coutts-Smith) was well considered, with dramatic colourful lights swiftly followed by shadowy corners and eerie areas. Danni Close designed the quality sound effects that were operated by Brett Muller.

The zombie walks were disfigured, slow and lethargic, thankfully not like a sleepwalker with outstretched hands. Throughout the play subtlety was the winner, and often you would find yourself wondering, ‘is that person still alive or has he been claimed by the mob’.

The directors have wisely decided to understate the whole production. By having such a large number of Zombies the threat was real. Their un-flickering, blank faces superbly created by make-up artist, Allira Humberstone, produced a cold stare that went right through you. Every face was different, Allira could easily have settled for a ‘set look’, but each had its own strange personality. Again with the clothing, the multitude of designs for the tattered blood stained costumes (Iz Moore) was wonderful.

The stage manager, Emma Muller, had to control the zombie crowds, who on exiting the stage remained in silence in the wings – so very important to retain the tension.

I am not a zombie fan, and not really interested in science fiction or even Dr Who, in fact I normally find it puerile. However, the atmosphere that was built up in this play was genuinely chilling and the tension truly palpable. A tricky genre to carry out, but with the total dedication of the large cast, the enormous thought and effort put into this admirable presentation, the zombie fans of all ages will absolutely love it. Thoroughly enjoyable.