Original subtitles

To the heavens shall do it again.

Respeaking earthly thunder. Come

away.

Oh, that this too. Too sullied

flesh would melt. Thanks for coming to

see Jared. He's very good. He is.

Although Shakespeare's never been my

thing. No, that the everlasting. I'm

never quite sure what's going on. I like

it. This is the good bit. To a nunnery.

Go. Jared's always had a way with the

ladies. Farewell. Oh, yeah.

Being sent to a nunnery gets us every

time. Oh, heavenly powers,

restore him. Help!

Angels! Make a say! With

strings of steel.

Ha! A hit! A very palpable hit! The

drink! The drink! I am

poisoned! It is here, Hamlet.

Hamlet, thou art slain. In flight of

angels, sing thee to thy rest.

I think that's what you call helping us.

Perhaps he's got a bad review.

Is there a doctor in the house?Ben?Ben,

what is it?Get away, he's there, he's

there. Get him his thing! Ruth! Okay.

An ambulance! We need an ambulance,

please! Excuse me.

Oh, goodness. Oh, Christ. He's dead.

Too much for breaking a leg, fella.

Looks like you went a little too far.

What do you know about this?

It isn't real. It's a stage

room. A blood balloon containing fake

blood. See?It's very

realistic. Yeah, the props guy's really

good. Can someone please

tell us what has happened?And you are...

Sorry, Senior, this is Ralph.

Rafe. It says here, Ralph.

Ralph St. John. St. John.

Rafe is the director of the play. You're

such a lovely boy. Rafe.

Darling man.

Jerry. Rafe.

Paula. Paula Worthington. DSS Mike

Shepherd. Is there anything I can do to

help?No, I think we've got everything

under control. Thank you. Amy,

I loved him like a son. Sorry, you don't

mind. Apologies, I'm all over the place.

Any idea how or... There'll be a

post-mortem. Of course.

Wasn't he a wonderful Hamlet?

Yes, he was. If it's not too much

trouble, I wonder if I can be interviewed

as quickly as possible. I need to get

home to my twins, Violet and Sebastian.

Your children are home alone. They'll be

wondering where I am. Shouldn't be too

much longer. Bren. Could you take

Mrs. Worthington's details?Ms. Ms.

Worthington's. Thank you. Come with me.

What's

going on up there?One of the casts got a

bit hysterical. Needed to be sedated.

Doctor says it has all the hallmarks of

an asthma attack. Ben was known to be

asthmatic.

Can you smell that?What?

You can't smell anything. No, what?

Oh. Is this where you tell me it smells

like bitter almonds?Tam,

that is so unfair. It's no big deal. Not

everyone can detect that smell. I know.

It's a genetic thing. I know. It was my

big fail at police college. Well, it's

the only fail, I'm sure. Yeah, there is

that. Well, it's definitely there. Oh.

Something is rotten in the state of

Brokenwood.

Were you awake for any of the show?

Let's get him to the mortuary arrange a

post-mortem. Probably more fun than

Shakespeare.

We are dealing with something very

unusual. As well as Pantaloon's tights

and fake blood. What's

this?Chafing from the rough he had around

his neck. But it's different from this?

That's where it gets interesting.

What was the performance?Hamlet. The

Russian play. Hamlet was from Russia.

No, but he's very Russian. He worries too

much, complains about everything, takes

too long to make up his mind. And when he

finally does, it all ends badly anyway.

Such is life. Are we talking?asthma?

Sudden respiratory failure, yes.

But this pinkish discoloration around the

mouth tells me it wasn't asthma.

With asthma, typically it is very pale,

even bluish. Gina,

do you smell bitter almonds?No, I

smell musty old Snickers. Don't worry,

Mike. In Russia, the quality of almonds

means they smell very similar to

Snickers. Right. Toxicology will confirm.

How do you think it was administered?

That's the thing. Here, in this little

blood bag, there is a sharp device. When

the bag was crushed, the device could

have broken the skin, causing the real

blood to mix with the fake blood.

Are you saying the fake blood contained

the poison?I think so, yes. But

there is no actual wound on the deceased

arm. So how did he receive the lethal

dose?Well, that would depend on what it

was. So,

the type of poison was... Why

do you ask me this, Mike?Because it's

your job to tell me. But I can see you

already know. One minute the guy's

taking a bow, next he's lying on the

ground flapping around like a dying fish.

Shakespeare will do that to you. Cyanide

will do that to you. Cyanide?Potassium

cyanide, most likely. KCN, test will

confirm. Oh, wow, cool.

I mean, not cool for the guy, obviously.

The cyanide, that's pretty...

Unusual, is all I'm saying. Do we know

how?No. The

blood bag was set to break the skin.

But it didn't. Perhaps he inhaled the

fumes, but would that be enough to kill

him?What do we know about this kid?Ben

Faulkner, 21 years old. He was an orphan.

He lost his mother to cancer at age 7 and

his father to a car accident 10 years

ago. No siblings. Ever since then, the

Brokenwood Theatre Society, of which his

parents were members, have... I've acted

like a surrogate family. Most notably,

Paula Worthington. He spent a lot of time

with her. And presumably her kids. She

has kids. I don't remember that from her

details. She was very keen to get back to

them last night. Twins. Viola

and Sebastian. Right.

Twelfth Night. What?

Viola and Sebastian were the twins in

Twelfth Night. Another

Shakespeare play?Never mind.

Up until several weeks ago, Ben was

dating Juliet Phelps, who played Ophelia.

The one who goes crazy. Oh, you were

awake for some of it. Do we have her

witness statement?No, she's in hospital,

heavily sedated. She's had something of a

breakdown. That's called irony.

Or convenient. Jilted lover, takes

revenge, then removes herself from

suspicion by hiding behind an emotional

collapse. I like it. I

suggest we start with Ruth Phelps, her

mother and also the stage manager for the

show. Bren, head down to the hospital.

I'm returning to the scene. Kristen, we

need to know all the cyanide suppliers

and licence holders. could I take

the cyanide?What?I mean, if it made

no difference, could I follow up on the

cyanide?Let's get this Ruth Phelps

talking while her daughter's in dispose.

Yeah, see, Mrs. Phelps was my English

teacher at Riverstone High School. So?

It's just... Shakespeare was her

specialty and it definitely wasn't mine.

She was intense about it and I'm pretty

sure I never handed in my last

assignment, which was ironically on

Hamlet. She may still

be expecting it. You'd rather

work with cyanide. It's nowhere near as

lethal as Mrs. Phelps. Never

picked you as a Shakespeare, Oh, me

neither. I always really liked the words,

you know. A bit like hip-hop without the

fat beats. But one day I was just

grabbing a coffee. Rafe

St. John, have you ever done any

Shakespeare?So, to

be or not to be Hamlet, that became the

question. You were discovered, as they

say. Yeah, I guess.

These are all the props?Yep.

The blood bag, how did that work?

See all Aerities. Okay.

Frost at

me. I grab my arm,

the little balloon breaks, blood comes

out, and I hold it out to the audience.

Very good. For a moment I thought I'd hit

you there. the magic of theatre. And

the blood bag sits here. Yeah, we put

them on at the beginning of Act 5. And

there's a space for yours and one for

Ben's?Who has access

to this area during the show?No,

everybody moves around back here.

Exiting, entering, grabbing props.

Did you and Ben ever mix up your blood

bags?It wouldn't matter if we did. Why?

You said the props guy was really good.

Is that Rafe?Nah, Craig Jenkins. He runs

the Brokenwood High costume place. I

didn't realise the Elizabethans were so

advanced. Ben always gets a bit

wheezy. Mostly after Act 5. He used to

take a puff before the curtain call.

I hear people crying like...

We knocked him dead, bro. Yeah, no, I

felt pretty good, all right. We

killed it! We killed it! Tully home!

Is that what happened then?What's that?An

asthma attack?My guess is there's more to

it than that.

I'm A suspect, aren't I?Let's just

say you're helping us with our inquiries.

I had a cousin that did that once.

Problem was he was so good at helping

with the inquiries he ended up in jail.

Was he guilty?Well, technically,

yeah. We're in a process that needs to be

gone through, that's all. So I'm free to

go. My Vines won't prune themselves.

Although it might be wise not to

associate with the other cast members

until all the other witness statements

are in order. Yeah.

Juliet, this is Detective Simms. She has

a couple of questions for you. Okay.

Hello, Juliet. Last

night, did you notice anything odd about

Ben backstage during the play?Ben, yes,

I remember him. Well, I know that you

knew him. I'm sorry for your loss. I

understand he was your boyfriend. We must

be patient, but I cannot choose but weep

to think they lay him as the cold ground.

Damn medication, that's either too much

or not enough. Those doctors, they don't

know their backsides from their belly

buttons. Could we have some help in here,

please?Where is the beauteous majesty of

Denmark?Ophelia's lines. How now,

Ophelia?How am I your true

love now?From another one,

by his cockle hat and stuff, and

his sand ocean. Alas, sweet

lady, what imports this song?You know, I

might come in later. Yes, I think that

would be a good idea. I think she may be

slipping into a coma. No,

I want an actual doctor, an actual

doctor. If you don't mind, Detective. Of

course. Fear.

I will send it to the ESR for more tests,

but the canister, it's factory sealed. I

can't see any way the poison could be

contained. You could take a puff with no

fear. Oh, pass. Chicken?What?

No, If you were a Russian man, you might

do it to prove your manliness. But I'm

not asthmatic. That's why I respect you,

Mike. Because I'm not asthmatic. Because

you know manliness doesn't come with

wrestling chickens.

To take the Sims back again so soon.

Actually, I have a couple of questions

for you, if that's okay. Well, we're not

out of the woods yet. They've told me I

have to wait here in the corridor. Why?so

that I wouldn't bear witness to their

incompetence. I'm her mother for God's

sake. Well, perhaps then you could spare

me a couple of minutes. The

diagnosis was that Juliet was overcome

with hysteria at Ben's sudden death. Oh,

you don't agree. She's A sensitive girl.

She's suffering from a much deeper

ailment. A broken heart. Very

good. Perhaps you should become a doctor.

I'm sure you'd be better than those

apes.

Breaking a young woman's heart is

not something to be underestimated. The

damage can be very serious indeed. And

I did insist on calling her Juliet,

the star-crossed lover.

So Ben was her Romeo, and so much as he

ended up dead. This is one of your team

who knows a thing or two about

Shakespeare. Unlike Samuel Breen, I saw

him last night pretending to be a

detective. He avoided me, of course. I

can assure you he's very good at his job.

Oh, really?Well, perhaps... He'd like to

solve the mystery of the missing year 12

assignment. It remains outstanding.

Do you have any idea why Ben would want

to break things off with Juliet?He was

young, foolish, insensitive and confused.

Bye. Perhaps you should

ask Paula Worthington about that.

She fussed over him like the mother she

never was. She doesn't have her

own children. God no. Which is

just as well. Who knows what kind of

mother she would make. Her,

intentions towards Ben were far

more than maternal. What

exactly are you suggesting?I'm sure

you can draw your own conclusions,

Detective.

Preston. Hey, according to Ruth

Phelps, what a Worthington doesn't have

any children. Okay, thanks.

Good morrow, Michael. Morning.

Viola and Sebastian, I present. My

twins, Viola and

Sebastian. From Twelfth Night. Oh,

well done. You like your Shakespeare,

Michael?It's a limited, more a country

music band. But from what I can work out,

all the same themes as Shakespeare but...

Done in 3 minutes rather than three

hours. No offence. I thought

they were your children. In many ways

they are. Not identical twins then?Like

born on the same day. They didn't suffer

too much with your late arrival home?You

might not think so, but they're carrying

a very sad disposition, they sense, that

Benny is dead. He was very close to

them. Is there any confirmation on what

caused Ben's death?Not yet. There's a

rumour it was asthma. It would seem like

the most likely scenario. Oh, my poor

Benny. I suppose the rest of the season

will be cancelled. Oh, with an actor dead

and another one in the hospital, I would

presume so. What a shame.

But appropriate, I would think. Well, yes

and no. The proceeds

were to go to a charity, you see Awesome

Orphans. I see. It gives

grants to orphans who show exceptional

promise in a certain area, like Ben. You

know, perhaps when this is over...

Excuse me. G'day mate,

this is Mike Shepherd. Hey, have you

collected all the rubbish around here?

Right, what have we got?Well, Ruth Phelps

doesn't suffer fools. Paula

Worthington... Just bumped into her.

Someone who treasured Ben like a mother,

she's very business-like. A

mother?Or maybe more. What?

Well, according to Ruth Phelps, Paula

Worthington possibly had more than a

maternal interest in Ben. Okay.

Juliet Phelps is still flaking out on

sedatives. Rafe's engine. Ralph St.

John is coming in tomorrow to complete

his witness statement. Hard to pin down.

Nigel Medlock, Timothy Ward and Billy

Franks have all completed statements, as

has Neil Bloom. I remember him from the

golf club case. The chemist. The

pharmacist. Okay, so

I know. Are we missing someone?

Who?Jared Montague. Shouldn't he be up

there?Just saying. Put his

name up. I checked out all local

controlled substance licence orders. No

one reports anything out of the ordinary.

No break-ins, and to be fair, they were

all so uninterested in the idea of a

Shakespeare play. It was hard to sniff

out any connection or possible motive

from their end. No cyano thefts in the

entire district?Nope. Although I'm yet to

head up and see Smelly Nelly Jenkins.

Yeah, good luck with that. Smelly Nelly

Jenkins, old school possum trapper.

Lives in the foothills of the Ripstone

Ranges. Completely feral. Always

trying to tempt you with a possum pie

while flogging off possum skins and other

by-products as the panacea to the ills of

modern-day life. She would like to grey

Jenkins. Don't know. Pass.

Jared mentioned him as the props maker.

Another person of interest. So, why

don't you get up to this Nellie Jenkins?

Squad car's in the shop. What?

Six-month service. When all the I-cars

are out. Did you mention you're

investigating a murder?Can't fight the

system, senior.

Then take mine. Your car.

What's wrong with it?Oh, nothing. It's

just... It's your car. Yeah.

Don't disrespect it. No, boss. Right.

So apart from not having a who, or a why,

or even a how, which gives us no when,

we're doing really well. Why?

When, how, who, why, when, how,

who. Don't mess up with the car.

I'll taste up Neil Bloom.

Hello?

Hello?Anybody

around?

Hello?

This is Mike Shepherd. Hello?

Cretin sam's. She can talk now, but keep

it brief. I'm so

sorry. I was fixing a hinge on the

breastplate and trying it on and it got

stuck. Yeah, no harm done.

Grey Jenkins, is it?No,

I'm Billy, his assistant. Is Grey

about?No. He didn't come

in today. He's very upset over Ben's

death. Do you mind?

Oh. Oh, you were on the play, Oswald?

Ozrack. and Marcellus and

Rosencrantz in the battlement scene. A

small but very important part.

Right. Although, as Rafe says,

there are no small parts, only small

actors. But you're okay.

Well, thanks, I guess. Oh, no, I mean

you're okay to come into work. Oh, it's

just... We're so busy.

I mean, Flintstones the Musical opens in

Riverstone next week, and we still

have to finish all the fur detailing. And

then after Hamlet, there's Spamalot,

hence I was fixing the suit of armour

when... So stupid. I'm

sorry. Any idea why Ben and Juliet broke

up?No. He just dumped

her. And that was that.

And... she deserved to be treated better

than that. I'm sure.

Do you have a Grey Jenkins address?Yeah.

What do you got?Taste results confirm

what I knew. The fake blood contains

cyanide. Okay, thanks.

The fake blood. Do you sell much of it?

Halloween, kids' birthdays.

Graham makes it himself. It's very good.

Appreciate it. Sweetheart, you remember

Detective Sims?

Yes. She just wants to ask you a few more

questions about Ben.

Actually, would you mind if... Oh.

I'll be just over there, darling, if you

need anything or you feel upset. Okay.

She'll be fine. You don't know that.

right, what I'm trying

to get a handle on is why you and Ben

split up. Was it amicable?

When is getting dumped out of the blue on

a cold winter's night ever amicable?

Now, what about the show?As Polonius

says, to thine own self be true. Screw

Polonius, Ben, this is real! It

hurt really bad, I'm

sure. But not so much

that I would do anything bad. You're not

thinking that?Just trying to put a

picture together. Does your picture

include Ben being hit on by Grey Jenkins?

In what way?Grey was always teasing Ben

about his sexuality.

Testing. Flirting. And was Ben?

Ben wasn't interested.

He was interested in me.

And then he wasn't. But it doesn't

matter now. I have someone new.

You have a new boyfriend?Let's just say

if Ben were alive, he'd be feeling pretty

jealous. Are those flowers from

him?

They're from my hamlet. I'm feeling very

tired now.

Okay, thanks.

Ruthie Roses. Are they from Jared Morohoo?

Apparently. I wasn't here at the time.

Right. Utteries. I don't believe for a

second. They're from a new boyfriend, if

that's what she's saying. She does seem

smitten. Meaning the effects of the

medication. Either too much or too

little. Oh.

Ruthie. Hi.

How's our girl?Oh, she's mandling. You

know Detective Simms?Yes. Any

news about things?We're working on it.

Asthma, it's a dreadful business. It

would help if we had all the completed

witness statements. Yes, I apologise.

It's been a ghastly day. I'll pop in

tomorrow. Please.

How fares my Juliet that I ask again,

for nothing can be ill if she be

well. Daddy, another

bouquet. Popular girl. They're from your

cast of Hamlet.

Daddy. Didn't you know, Detective, a

union over the Bard led to a permanent

connection, but we choose to maintain

separate lives.

Who are you?

DC Sam Breen. Brokenwood

CIB. Not a cop?Guard.

Actually, it is. Belongs to my senior.

Watch you don't trip.

What do you want?A routine

check on your cyanide supplies.

I've got a license. I know. And with that

license comes security requirements that

are subject to random checks.

Get in here, then. Keep it all

in there. Locked. Okay,

good. Can you unlock it?

Wait, are you serious?Well, I don't want

to lose it. There you go.

I'm guessing you don't keep an updated

register. Oh, I know it's what.

It's still good. Let

me in that one.

That one's expired. no, thanks. That's

cyanide. Relax. Not kill ya.

Unless you're an idiot. Are you an idiot?

No. Then chuck it in the bin. You can't

just chuck the stuff in the bin. It's

cyanide and you can't have the key

out in plain sight. Hardly no

one comes up here, so it's not a problem.

How old are you?25.

A lot of lines around your eyes for

twenty-five. What?Streets.

No.

You should try. some of this. Smear it

under your eyes, makes the lines

disappear. What is it?Well, in fact, I

use it all the time. I'm good. Thanks.

You're nice. Do

you know of Ben Faulkner?No.

21, used to perform with the Brokenwood

Theatre Society. Used to. Great with me.

Dead, actually. Cyanide poisoning.

Oh, I don't go to the theatre. Are you

related to Grey Jenkins?Is that what this

is about?What?Has Gray been up to no good

with that young pen boy?Meaning?

Gay. That's Gray's preference now. Right.

But you're not related?No, I didn't say

that. So you are related?No. What then?

Oh, don't get silly with me, boy. We're

only related in so much as he was once my

husband a long time ago, but that's all.

I've got nothing to say to him. That it?

You done?

No reception?Who cares?I wouldn't touch

one of those things with a barge pole.

They'll give you cancer. Sure as a bottle

will hump a heap up.

Right, thanks for your time. Hey, you

sure you don't want some?I'm

good.

Flat battery. I don't believe it.

Might have to stay the night.

Hey, have you heard from Breen?

Negative. Where are you?

Tracking down Gray Jenkins. Are you all

right?Yeah, yep, all good. Hey, could you

pick me up in a bit?56 Middleton Road.

Are you on foot?Yeah, doing

my bit to save the planet. I'll be

there.

Neil Bloom, isn't it?Detective Shepherd.

I was looking for Grey Jenkins. You're in

the right place. Right.

He's sleeping.

He barely got a wink last night. The news

about being destroyed him. I see.

Grey is my partner. You don't live so far

out of town anymore. Well, separate

dwellings, but I stayed over last night.

Consoling Grey. He

can call you when he wakes.

Thanks. Do you need a

glass of water?Yeah, I'd appreciate that.

Just to... Wait here.

You were very good in the play, by the

way. Oh. A great beard. I like the

line about how you've got to be honest

with it. To thine own self be true. Oh,

that's the one. Thanks. That's a nice

part. Probably my favourite line.

I think a gay man in a small place like

Brokenwood, it has an extra resonance.

Maybe Rafe hasn't been. Rafe?Send you?

The postie?Amateur theatre doesn't pay

the bills, Detective. I was to be

Claudius, actually. I'd even learned the

lines, but I was not to be. Why

was that?There was a last-minute

reshuffle. Because?

Rafe was to play Hamlet, but he was, of

course, too old. The Society voted for

Ben, but in the end he wasn't up for the

task. Seems a good actor to me. Ben was a

nice kid, but not as talented as some

might have thought. So, Ray found

Jared by chance, and the rest was a happy

accident, as they say. I'm not sure Ben

would say it that way. Oh,

my right.

Thanks for that. Actually,

one other thing. As A chemist, do you

stock cyanide?Detective, as a

pharmacist, I dispense drugs to heal

people, not kill them. I'll take that as

a no. You do that.

So, that was the detective.

Mike Shepherd is very thorough. We need

to be very careful.

Rafe Sinjin is Juliet's father.

Oh. Does that change anything?I don't

know yet, but Ruth Phelps has got serious

attitude about life, love and

doctors, and Juliet, who after

being dumped by her boyfriend, then

seeing him die in front of her eyes all

within the space of two weeks, thinks she

has a new boyfriend. Who?

Jared Morohoo.

Mike Sheaper.

I'd appreciate that. See you soon.

Grey Jenkins is suddenly up and about. He

wants to meet the costume company. Can

you double back?You could drive yourself.

Or not.

Well?It's not as bad as it looks, okay?It

just needs a new alternator. I had to

walk for an age to call for a tow truck.

I mean, well, what did you find out?Oh.

Nellie Jenkins has a lot of

cyanide under lock and key in the loosest

sense of the term. And she used to be

married to Gray Jenkins. How long ago?

Twenty years. He came out, it was all

over.

That alternator was original, by the way.

Probably why it needs replacing. What's

the sound of your eyes?I don't want to

talk about it. I'm taking a shower. No

point. Why not?No,

there's work to be done. And showering

might be pointless. What you're looking

for is small, silver, plastic. And

if you find it, handle with extreme care.

This is about the car, isn't it?

No, it's about finding the murder weapon.

Working late, Mr. Jenkins?

It's making up for lost time in the

spender. Rough night, I hear.

We all lost a dear friend. Makes

you wonder what the point of it all is

sometimes, doesn't it?Doesn't Hamlet say

something like that?Over and over and

over. Ben was a

talented boy. He was such a waste.

Was your relationship anything more than

professional?Can we deal

with a couple of facts?Facts are what I'm

here for. Firstly, the Broken Wood

Theatre Society is amateur, not

professional. A mistake Rafe often makes.

There's a big difference. And secondly,

Ben was straight. Had a lot of

time for him, but that was all. You make

the props for the player, Miss Dean. And

costumes. It's my contribution to the

society. But you are an actor. I'm more

comfortable behind the scenes now.

Could you show me how these blood bag

devices work?

Oh. An elastic bandage, drawing pin,

small water balloon filled with fake

blood. That you make yourself?Yes.

And that is covered with an adhesive

paper-based plaster. That you get from a

chemist?Pharmacy stock them?Yes.

And that is trapped

round under the costume.

And the actor clasps it like

so. Do

you have blood on your hands?Fake blood.

Cochineal, maple syrup, coffee, water.

Nothing else?No. So, not rocket science,

then?Anybody could do it. Well,

anyone with access to all these bits and

pieces. Well, they're all commonly

available. In amateur theatre, we have to

make a little go a long way. Do you have

any access to cyanide?What?

Cyanide. Do you have any use for it?

That's a strange question. Not if you're

someone who uses cyanide. Is

that what took

then?Not necessarily. here it

is. As I said, not necessarily.

But you have no access to it. No,

never. Detective,

I had nothing to do with Ben's death. I

wasn't even at the performance. But you

set up the props table. Well, yes, I do

that each night. The blood capsules and

the blood sleeves, parchments, et cetera.

But then I leave. Ruth Phelps is the

stage manager. She looks after

everything. Not A Shakespeare fan. I

love Shakespeare. I hate Hamlet.

Now, if you have no further questions, I

really must finish the Flintstones.

I have Ralph St. John in for his witness

statement. Oh, good. It's

not good?

Did you see anyone that didn't belong

there?No.

Mind you, it's frightfully busy back

there, but if there was anyone, Ruth

would have shooed them away. Right, you

and Ruth were married?

No, we share a beautiful friendship

through a wonderful daughter. Juliet,

who's a very good actress?Very. I

thought Jared Motohoo was very good too,

for the record. Yes. In a

raw, primal way, he has that quality of a

savage, glistening in the sun, bathed in

sweat, speaking the language of the gods.

While wearing doublet nose?You

may poo-poo, detective, but by honouring

Shakespeare's period, we are

feeling the language through the

filter of the clothing. Hessian, silk,

pantaloons. Authenticity.

I thank the stars I am happy. I will be

strange, stout, in yellow

stockings and cross-gartered.

Malvolio, you know the bard. I've

studied him in university. Yes, Study,

study. But have you ever let him

actually flow through you?Stood

on a stage and allowed yourself to be a

vessel?You mean, have I ever been in a

Shakespeare play?Yes. No. Well, perhaps

you should try it. I offer classes, you

know, in acting and vocal technique.

I can see you as a marvellous Lavinia

in Titus Andronicus. That's a kind offer.

Would you excuse us?

Would you think any less of me if I

vomited on your shoes?I can get a bucket.

That man is the kind that gives

Shakespeare such a bad name. I couldn't

possibly comment. For the record, Lavinia

gets her hands chopped off and her tongue

cut out. Shakespeare, Yeah.

Bet you don't get that with Patsy Cline.

Sorry. If we're done, Detective,

could I have a private word?

Sure.

Please, take a seat. No, I won't keep you

long. This is a

most awkward thing to ask. I'm in a

pickle, you see. Paula Worthington has

asked me whether it's possible to

continue the season. Of Hamlet?

Yes, I said, Paula, darling,

no, we can't. An actor

has passed away. It's insensitive. I

would have thought so. But it's for her

charity, you see. Awesome Orphans is her

charity. Yes, And Paula thinks it would

be the perfect way to honour Ben's

memory. What do you think?How could we go

on?Imagine performing

that monumental play each night, knowing

that one of us isn't there anymore. Then

say no. Paula's a very forceful

type. I was wondering if

perhaps there was a legal reason we

couldn't continue. Well, the

stage and backstage area are a crime

scene. Until our investigation is

complete, you wouldn't be able to use it.

Brilliant. I shall tell her forthwith.

That comes as something of relief.

He worked with Sir Ian McKellen, you

know. Right.

You don't know who he is, do you?Sir Ian

McKellen. We worked together on Rings.

Fabulous actor. He played Gandalf in The

Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit. Of course.

You never saw The Lord of the Rings. I've

got this thing about hairy feet. Is this

where you tell me a story about one of

your ex-wives?

Sorry, I didn't mean... I don't believe

any of them had hairy feet. Well, good.

I mean, not that it would matter. Well,

it would to me. Obviously. Do you want to

change the subject?Yes, please. Yeah.

Paula Worthington wants the show to go

on. What's that about?In the name of

charity. You've crossed out

this guy. is the

most sensitive forklift driver I've ever

met. I'm just so...

I'm just

so... sad. I

doubt he has the emotional constitution

for murder. I did learn something

interesting, though, when I asked our

witnesses why Ruth Phelps wasn't in the

play. She's kind of bad. Ruth's a really

good stage manager, for sure. Actually,

her acting is a bit like fingernails on a

blackboard. She's not very good. Ruth is

an academic. She acts with her head

rather than her loins. Plus, she has some

strange ideas. And all those in

favour of Ruth's idea that Hamlet should

be played as a woman by her,

raise your hand. Oh.

Ruthie. Not this year.

Again. Hamlet as a woman.

Very avant-garde. The point is,

Ruth Phelps had a serious axe to grind

with the rest of the Broken Witch Theatre

folk. For being snubbed.

Possible. But why pick on Ben?Why not

Paula?Well, the only thing she loves more

than Shakespeare is her daughter. Ben

hurt her daughter. Motive?But until we

know how the cyanide was administered,

It's difficult to know who had the

opportunity. Why, when, how, who,

what. Celia.

Yes. Back on the road.

Joyride?Oh, it's always joyous.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

Whether it is nobler in the mind to

suffer the slings and arrows of

outrageous fortune. To take arms

against a sea of troubles, and by

opposing, end them. To

die, to sleep.

Oh, Billy, there is so much to do. But

it's my lunch hour. But as long as an

hour is an hour.

Billy. I

was just leaving. He thinks he's in

love. Is that a bad thing?

Oh, to be young again. Swings and

roundabouts. Well, he's an asthmatic. He

isn't half the population these days.

Something's bothering me. I'm wondering

if maybe you could help me out. As long

as you don't mind me keeping on working.

Not at all. Your

aversion to Hamlin. What's that about?

How's that important?Humour me.

I played Hamlet myself back in the 70s

when I was a professional actor. It was

quite a famous production. Good for you.

Not really. I played the whole thing with

a paper bag on my head. Okay.

It was the 70s. That sort of thing was

very dirty girl. Some said it was

cutting edge. Some said it was incredibly

moving. Most just said it was really hard

to hear what I was saying. Probably quite

hard to see as well. The director was

trying to put across the metaphor that

Hamlet was blinded by his indecision.

Stumbling about just added to that

effect. After that, I was done with the

damn play. At least Ralph St. John

doesn't have any crazy ideas like that.

He doesn't have many ideas at all.

Has worked with Ian McKellen, though. Oh,

please. He was a dead Orc. Third

corpse from the left in the Battle of

Helm's Deep. Rafe tends to

exaggerate his resume and talent.

Why didn't you mention your connection to

Nellie Jenkins?When I asked

about cyanide, she's licensed to obtain

and possess cyanide. There's no

connection. Apart from you being your

ex-husband. I have nothing to do with

that woman. She's A bigot. A

tedious, odious, not to mention odorous

woman. She's also a supplier of possum

skins, which, if I'm not very much

mistaken, are what these are. I haven't

seen her for years. So these furs are not

from her then?Anything I have to do with

my mad ex-wife is purely business. So

they are from her. Have you been

up to her place recently?No, I have not.

Has she paid you a visit?I have already

said I haven't seen her for years. Okay.

That's all. Thanks.

We need to talk. Now.

Excuse me. Ruth, hi. Take

those. She's just in there. Don't stay

too long. She ties easily. Go on, off you

go. Just in there.

How are you feeling?Hello, Billy. I

brought some flowers. Your mum's just

getting a vase.

I see you already have some. Aren't they

amazing?Hey, are you okay to talk?I mean,

I don't want to impose. No, it's fine.

It's really good to see you.

Your dad called.

There's talk that the play's going to

resume. Isn't that great?So

soon. Yeah, I'll finally get my chance to

play Laertes. Good for you.

Do you?Do you think that you'll be up to

it?I'm not sure. Because, like, I was

thinking that you could focus your

confused feelings in the part. Billy. I

mean, we could run lines. Billy, slow

down. Yeah. Sorry,

it's just... Laertes. I mean,

wow. Are you going tomorrow?

Yeah, of course. And Jared?

I guess so. I mean,

everybody will be. Why?

I think that's enough. Thanks for the

flowers. Yeah, I should go. Bye-bye. I'll

see you tomorrow. Sure. Bye.

Hallelujah. I'll get this over

to Gina. Sorry, what do I miss?Not much.

If that's the smoking gun, at least we

can focus on opportunity. But

motive. Hamlet, what happens?

Well, a prince suspects his uncle of

killing his father. He can't decide what

to do. Everyone dies.

Perhaps you should write that down and

give it to Mrs. Phelps. Then you'd be

investigating 2 murders. Well, not if you

said Hamlet was a woman. What?Really?

Hamlet is a woman?Brain?Yeah. Shower?

Right. Hamlet is a

woman. So...

I look at all these people, and what do

they have in common?A

love of theatre. Specifically,

a love of Hamlet. What if the

answer is in the play?Good luck with

that. Academics have argued over

centuries over its deeper meaning, but

for me... One thing is clear.

Hamlet had major mother

issues, which is why he treats Ophelia

so badly and says some ambiguous things

about what he'd like to do to Gertrude.

Hamlet is both a mother lover

and a mother hater. What has this got to

do with Ben?No, I'm thinking about the

mother. Paula. I just spoke to her again.

I loved Ben, but he was no St.

Meaning?As if it wasn't bad enough

breaking Juliet's heart, he then had the

gall to up and die on stage in front of

her. Not that it was done.

He was a troubled boy. I wouldn't put it

past him to stage something grand and

ridiculous. Are you saying he could have

been suicidal?I'm saying he was

troubled. In what way?He was a boy

gifted with too much attention. When

he lost his parents, many in the Theatre

Society took it upon themselves to tend

to his every need. Ruth Phelps, in

particular. Turning him into a

Shakespeare prodigy. He was

smothered, if you know what I mean. Well,

no, I'm not exactly sure. Oh, Miss Simms,

take the S off smothered and what do you

get?The real mother in the fray,

Ruth Phelps, the only one in this whole

scenario with an ounce of motive. Ben

hurt her daughter, she wanted him to

suffer. Well, then the same would apply

to Rafe. Juliet's his daughter too. I

hear, but does he really care about

Juliet as much as his play?He is so

self-absorbed, I think not. What if

Ruth didn't mean to kill Ben, but was

just trying to send a message?Cyanide.

It's some message.

Let's see if we've got the smoking gun

first.

How is it?Tough day at the office,

Hey, have you been following my advice?

Yeah, always. What

advice exactly?About not associating with

the other cast members. Oh, yeah, I've

just been here. You sure?Did these

vines prune themselves?

Did you like Ben Faulkner?Uh, yeah, he

was OK. What do you think about Juliet?

She's a bit young for you, Mike. What?I'm

not talking about... What about Ruth

Phelps?Oh, I definitely would have gone

there if I was you. I'm not talking about

going there with any of these people.

Yeah, because you know the female praying

mantis bites the head of the male praying

mantis after they've mated?Oh, that's

Ruth. Just ruthless.

Thanks for the insight. I'll have these

players play something like the murder of

my father before mine uncle. I'll observe

his looks. I'll tint him to the quick.

And if he do bleach,

I'll know my cause.

Senior. we

were hoping for a word.

We, have something of a confession to

make. Well, Grey

does. I'm moral support.

All right.

We realise we need to front-foot this

before any rumours and false

allegations arise. I'm all ears.

We talked about this. Honesty is the best

policy.

I admit

to having been somewhat infatuated

with Ben.

It was a foolish thing. Destined never to

go anywhere because... Ben was not

gay. Or interested.

Grey made a couple of clumsy overtures

after a few too many wines. How about

this one?Marvellous. Great. I

need a bigger rapier. Talented and

beautiful. What's your secret?I

think we're done here. You

old fool. Craig, I

need a longer rapier. For Christ's sake,

find it yourself. It wasn't a secret.

It was a clumsy secret.

As embarrassing as it is, I...

We felt it was important to come

clean. Was it just the ones?

There were several public displays.

Granted, I humiliated myself, but... But

he was not driven to any kind of

homicidal rage, in case anyone should...

cast such aspersions. Now,

we have a funeral

to attend. Thank you for your candour.

It's been a very emotional time.

I'm sure. Tell me, Neil, by any

chance, did you fill Ben's prescription

for his vaporize inhaler?As a matter

of fact, I did. Why?Is it a common brand?

The most common these days. Billy Franks

uses one too. Yes.

Anyone else in the cast?Not that I'm

aware of. Okay,

thank you. Neil, one more

thing. When did you last fill Ben's

prescription?Oh,

three, no, four weeks ago. I

remember he'd lost his. To be or not?To

be, Ben, please! Sorry, I just, I need my

inhaler. Where's my inhaler?Here,

use mine.

It's a sure way to spread illness and

went to the castle.

That was the beginning of the end for

being as Hamlet. Hamlet can't be

an asthmatic. It's lovely.

He's trying. To be... or not

to be... Really, it's amateur. We

are amateurs, Rafe. Only in so much as we

don't get paid, but there is no reason to

set anything other than professional

standards. I suppose I may have to do

it. A 100 years ago. Hamlet is a

young prince, for heaven's sake. Quite.

Well, best you find someone ASAP. I

can but try. Is that how Jared

came to be involved?A happy accident,

as they say. How all occasions do

inform against me and spur my

dull revenge. Oh my goodness, Rafe,

what a find. How did you feel about

Grey's attitude to Ben?

The course of true love never did run

smooth.

Only tears

Is that all I can do?

And as we say farewell to Ben,

we remember his vitality,

his love of life, and that,

though taken far too young, he was

loved by those around

him. And so, earth to earth,

ashes to ashes, dust

To dust. Now pile your dust upon the

quick and dead, till of this flat a

mountain you have made, to our

top old Pylon. Pelion.

Pelion. In the skyish head

of Blue Olympus. Marvellous.

You're right, mate. Come on. Come on.

Gary's?Oh, now

she's right.

I'm sorry. This feeling just came over

me. Not at all. It was very apt. Well

done, Billy. You are a

star just waiting to shine.

And as we know,

Ben was a supernova in

a night sky filled with baby stars.

We miss you, Ben. Paula.

Thank you. Thank you, Rafe. And thank

you, Ben. Rafe and I

have been talking, and in Ben's name,

we feel that it is appropriate...

that we carry on.

Billy, you have thoroughly proven with

your fitting tribute to Ben that you are

more than capable of taking all Laertes.

And the rest of us will just come up.

That is assuming that our Ophelia,

Juliet, is fit and well?Ready and

willing. Those in favour, raise your

hand.

Bravo! Bravo!

After what we discussed, aren't you

jumping the gun?Paula was very insistent.

The venue was still accorded area. Yes,

it was then that she pointed out that we

simply move. to a park, perhaps,

in true travelling player style. Rafe,

while I admire your enthusiasm, it wasn't

the venue that killed Ben. It was

someone, quite possibly in your cast,

that did. But it was an

asthma attack. Asthma can be triggered in

different ways. Someone in this room?

Possibly. I find that hard to

believe. Oh, well done, you

gorgeous man. Such

fortitude, don't you think, Michael?Thank

you for the flowers. Flowers?

Playing koi. The beautiful bouquet that

you sent with my dad. Remember,

they're from your hamlet.

He wants his Ophelia back. He

loves you very much. Yeah, no,

I'm not really a flowers guy. Then I feel

all the more special. No, I mean, I

didn't actually... Sending my father as

an emissary. I mean, kind of

old-fashioned. But very romantic.

it's really sad what happened to Ben. But

there's always a silver lining. And we

have to carry on, don't we?

I see. I didn't see them, mate.

How could you say that?Don't

say that. I got to tell it like it is, eh?

Have you no heart?

Do you know what I've been through?

I have to rest.

What have you said?What have you done

this time?Really?No, speak.

What's with the flowers?Sorry?Juliet said

you delivered flowers from me, but I

didn't send any. Yes, I delivered

flowers, but not from you. They're

from your cast of Hamlet. They

want their Ophelia back.

They love you very much. It's the

medication I would think she's. Young and

confused. But really, Jared, you need to

be more sensitive. Maybe you need to find

another Hamlet.

And lo, another diva was born.

Really. Ben's way too.

Gina. You have the mind of an assessment.

The inside of the inhaler's mouthpiece

was laced with cyanide paste. When the

victim took off the cap and depressed the

canister, it would have dispensed a

lethal amount straight into his lungs.

He would have inhaled deeply, thinking it

would ease his asthma.

It would have acted with fury.

Let's go through it again. Okay.

Someone wanted Ben Fortner dead. The

reason?He had to be determined. They

switch his inhaler. He essentially

executes himself. Then the perpetrator

later dumps the inhaler in the rubbish

bin. Inhaler, sophisticated. Rubbish bin,

clumsy. Suspects.

Billy Franks. Who wanted to play laities

and now may get his chance?Is that reason

to kill?In her out. And...

Neil Bloom. Could have been trying to

eliminate Ben. Jealous over Grey's

affections. Jealousy beats amateur

theatre aspirations in my book. And...

Are these images off Ben's phone?Yeah.

King of the selfie, On the other hand,

Grey is the only one with an obvious

connection to the poison. He swears he

hasn't seen Nellie in years. But he made

the props. In the end, it wasn't a prop

that killed Ben. In her out.

Lieberman. Ruth Phelps. Wanted to hurt

Ben for hurting her daughter. Wanted to

hurt Rafe for not letting her perform.

In. Rafe Sinjin.

Play ahead of everything else. But why

would he murder someone who was making

him look good?Ben was good, wasn't he?

Depends on who you talk to. In.

Juniet Phelps. In.

Paula Worthington. Yeah, who coveted Ben,

but one would have to say seems very keen

to move on in the interests of her

charity. Why do people

insist on making things plural with a Z?

Is the charity legit?Ben is the sole

beneficiary and Paula is one of two

trustees. I'm still tracking the other

one down. Ben.

Four days in and we've managed to put

everyone back up on the board. And we

haven't proved that any of these people

have actual access to cyanide.

Well, maybe we have. Senior?

Yeah, that's Ben with Billy Franks. Yeah?

That building. It's smelly Nellie

Jenkins' place. So Billy was up there

with Ben?Which means Billy had

opportunity. And someone else. Whoever

took that photo. Well, yeah, it's not a

selfie. No, they're doing that dumb

gangster stuff with both hands. So

presumably it was Nellie. She wouldn't

touch a mobile. Reckons they give you

cancer. Someone else took that photo.

DSS Mike Shepherd. Ms.

Jenkins, do you recognise these boys?

Maybe?Yes or no.

That's Grey's little man, Friday.

Grey told me that the two of you have had

nothing to do with each other for the

last 20 years. He's right about that.

Then how do you know that Billy is his

man, Friday?Came up here to buy skins.

Are you sure you don't want some?Uh, no,

thanks. And Ben Faulkner was with him?

No, that was another time. Billy's

visited twice. Why?I

visited to you. Did you take this

photo?No, who?Then who did?

What have been the, uh, the brown boy?

Brown boy?Yeah, Maori fella.

Jared Moray. Thinks about. There's a

bunch of them. You told

DC Breen that no one comes up here.

I said hardly no one comes up here.

Check your facts. See

ya. Did you take this

picture?Not me, then hope.

Nellie?No. Rafe Farah

knew. Probably gone by then. Rafe

St. Jim. How many Rafes do you know?What

were you doing up there?Rehearsing?

The beauty of the world. He

reckons the place is a natural

amphitheatre. The paragon of animals.

Good to practice our vocal technique,

mainly because Ben and Billy were

asthmatics and needed to develop their

breath control. Oh, triple woe.

Full 10 times treble on that

cursed head.

Hugo, Jared. Oh, no, I'm all good. I felt

like an egg. Why was Ruth there?

Stage manager. Prompting lines.

Why'd you get an alley's?Oh, she rumbled

us. What the hell are you fellas doing in

my gully?Next thing you know, we're back

at the hut. Got pies.

We're fine.

Nourished by the language of the

bard. Hey, have I just helped you much

with your inquiries?

Well, here he comes. Good morning.

Dang on time this morning. Good morning,

Bill. Thank you, Gene.

You're no Detective Shepherd. Yes.

Oh, let me get you a cup too. What do you

take?Gumboot with milk. Oh, fine.

With a view like this, who would want an

office job?I suppose so.

Up here, I imagine you could almost get

the same resonance as Echo Gully.

If that was the case, I wouldn't go all

the way up there. Echo Gully has a

remarkably unique quality. Yes.

As does Nellie Jenkins' tea, I

understand. I wouldn't know.

Really. Some of us went up to Echo Gully

for a sojourn. Nellie invited us in and

served some extremely odd tea, yes,

but I didn't drink it.

Echo Gully is where we go to practice

vocal technique. Ralph, why did Mrs.

Malick weebill?What I do

here is merely another role that I

play. Bill the posting.

Something like that. Bringing the news.

Important news. Rafe. Bill.

Bill. I strongly advise you not to go

here with the play. I couldn't agree

more. But I fear that train has left the

station. Paula has contacted the press.

It's A sellout. Like you. I feel

very conflicted.

You know, there's a rehearsal tonight

for Billy. Perhaps you could come along.

and make sure everything went well.

I might just do that. But now, if you

don't mind, I

really must go.

See you tonight. Bye, Gene.

Bye. There you are, then. Off he

goes. Thanks. Tell

me, why Bill and not Rafe?Bill, as in

Buffalo Bill, of the Pony Express, the

bringer of news. The mail must go

through. Yes. Bill always says,

without me, people would be cut off,

stranded in suburbia, with only the

tiresome internet. Mail is

the last bastion of true human

connection. And Shakespeare, I expect.

Oh, of course. Wasn't

Jared a wonderful Hamlet?

So it's true then. What is that?Young

Ben Faulkner was practicing homosexualism

with Grey Jenkins. No.

It's an ongoing investigation. Oh, of

course. If you heard her

again in any way, I will deal to

you. understand?You need to calm down,

Billy. You need to stop acting like

Casanova and start considering people's

feelings.

Billy, what is going on here?Why don't

you ask?Hamlet pants.

He sends her flowers, romances her, and

then denies it. Makes her even more

confused. I mean, threatening people is a

serious offence. Oh yeah?Up there with

heartbreak?

I understand you've been up to Nellie

Jenkins' place. So what?Were you ever

there on your own?No. What about when you

went to pick up the skins for Grey?I

don't know, maybe. Was Nellie with you

there the whole time?Yes. Are you sure?

The place stinks. Nothing can make me

stay there a moment longer thannecessary.

Not even the chance to play Laertes?I

don't know what that means. I have to go.

So, have you been getting along with

Juliet Phelps?No.

Seriously, she's not even my type. I've

got to go to rehearsal. I thought you

might be chucking it in. Yeah, well, the

show must go on and all of that,

Ow. Okay, chill out, dude. I will ****

you. Stop, That is not the line.

Focus, please. And

where is Juliet?She's unwell,

Ray. But we must rehearse.

A hit,

a hit, a palpable hit. No, it's not

looking for a part. Oh, I'm looking for

something. You're not meant to be.

Already dead. Oh, I'd leave, but I have

to wait for notes. It's the rhythm, you

see. It mimics the heart, the beat

of life. Ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom,

ba-boom. Everyone play. Ba-boom,

ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom. What do you

make of all this?I'm a Shakespeare

luddite. Not the Shakespeare, this

group. Grey wanting Ben.

Ben not loving Juliet, but Billy does.

Yet Juliet is the Hotsford Jared, who's

decidedly uninterested. Ruth

is estranged from Rafe, and Rafe, well,

he's completely asexual.

Gets his kicks from being both mother hen

and stern father to them all. That is the

thing about amateur theatre. Everyone

is trying to sleep with everyone else.

Stop!

Everyone, please!

Really?Must you?

Your talking is very distracting.

Apologies, Rafe. I suggested you

come. It wasn't to be disruptive. That

was not my intention. I appreciate you. I

like you being here, I really do, but

please, as a courtesy, be as quiet as

you can. Picking it up from

where we left off. Please.

How does the Queen?She swoons to see them

bleed. The drink.

My dear Hamlet, the drink, the

drink. I am poisoned. Let

the door be locked. Treachery, seek it

out. The king is to blame.

Invent it do thy work. Stop!

Treason! Treason! Oh, you defend

me, friends, I am but hurt. Hear now,

thou incestuous, murderous standing.

Drink this poison. Is thy union here?

Oh, damn it!Jesus Christ. Okay,

that's not the line. Dude, are you

all right?Rapey. Oh, he's not acting, is

he?Rap, Rap, Ruth, Ruth. An

ambulance. Hold on. Hold it again. An

ambulance, please.

The Brokenwood Courier. I can see the

headline now. Death Divine Performance.

Oh,

so kind of you to come. We're pleased

we're still only investigating one death,

not two. Believe me, so am I.

Rafe, you crushed the bud capsule in your

teeth. Yes, after Hamlet wounds me.

There's nothing unusual in that. Except

that it contains hyanide. Yes, well, if

I'd known that. Doctors

said it's a miracle I'm not dead. It is.

It seems whoever laced that capsule

didn't use enough. Who would

do such a thing?Whoever it is targeted

Ben and now you. Do you have any idea

why?No. Is the

blood capsule something you carry or is

it given to you?Ruthie hands

it to me just before I go on. But that

was just a rehearsal?A technical

rehearsal, so Billy would know exactly

what was going on. And Ruth

gets them from Grey Jenkins.

Please, Ruthie wouldn't.

No. But we have to consider all the

options. You should get

some rest. It was a seller,

you know. The performance.

Critics from the city were coming. It

would have been lovely for the cast.

Better that you're alive.

I owe you an apology.

Seems you were right all along. One of

these people wanted Ben and Rafe dead.

It's got to be Grey Jenkins.

Motive?He doesn't like Rafe. Oh, he

doesn't respect him. I'm not sure he

hates him. He wanted to sabotage the

play. Why?His partner Neil's in it. How

much does he care about Neil?He admitted

he hated the play, and he killed Ben

because of some jealous response to being

spooned. Very Shakespearean. Or

country and western. Decide.

Sabotage, you reckon?Really?

I say we search his premises, bring him

in for a formal interview. We might be

able to hold him on the basis of what

comes to life. Grey?

No, I don't believe it. He's yet to be

charged, but I thought you should know.

But why?Well,

hopefully the reasons will come to light

after a full interview.

I admit to being none the wiser over this

thing. He means many things to many

people. That's the Bard's magic.

the cordon's been lifted on your stage.

You could proceed with the charity

performance now. Up to you. If only I had

the strength.

These are from your costume company. If

you say so. There's a capsule identical

to these that contains cyanide. That

Ralph St. John put in his mouth. Well,

he's an idiot, isn't he?nearly died. For

God's sake, the capsules, they pull

apart. Anyone could have put anything

inside them. Did you?No.

Did you poison Ben Faulkner?I most

certainly did not. Your partner's a

pharmacist. He'd be pretty handy with

capsules like these. He doesn't deal in

fake blood. What about cyanide?Oh, no,

that's your ex-wife, isn't it?I have

never handled cyanide. I

guarantee that these capsules do not

contain any trace of cyanide. In fact,

I'll show you. Hey, oh Christ, that's

evidence!You see?You see?

There's no cyanide here, you see?

Okay, that's just really messy. Let's get

you cleaned up. Get me cleaned up. Get me

a bloody lawyer. That went well.

Crazy *******. Still think he's the one?

You better hope the SSG comes up with

something.

The perpetrator didn't expect us to find

the inhaler. They wanted us to think that

the blood bag on Ben's sleeve killed him.

They wanted us to think that Gray did it.

Or he's playing a double bluff. Or...

some research on Munchausen syndrome by

proxy, where mothers hurt their own

children. to seek attention. We

should reconsider Ruth Phelps. Is this

about how Hamlet has ought to deal with

mother issues?What if she's been

deliberately harming Juliet, both

physically and psychologically?She kills

Ben to get at Juliet. That's a way of

hurting her. But Ben had already dumped

Juliet. Yeah, but you saw the way his

death affected her. She had a complete

breakdown. And then Mummy steps into care

for her with all the attention of the

medical world at her beck and call. I

mean, it's textbook stuff. Then why hit

Ralph?Well, just as Juliet is bouncing

back, she hurts her again. This time by

hurting her father. The same father that

wouldn't let Ruth act in the beloved

play. Told you she was a psycho.

She was the stage manager, Mike, in

charge of the props table. She had all

the time in the world backstage to switch

those inhalers. And we can place her at

Nellie's heart. Well?

It doesn't explain one thing. How

did Rafe manage to have a cyanide pill

crushed in his teeth and survive?Whoever

it was that planted that capsule was

either trying a copycat killing and they

didn't know what they were doing or... Or

they were trying to send a message and

knew exactly what they were doing.

Kristen. The SSG have come back negative

on cyanide at the costume company and

Grey Jenkins' home. Right. Should

I let him go?

No. I have a question for him.

I'll have grounds more relative than

this. The place, the thing

wherein I'll catch the conscience of

the king.

Hey. Hot off the press.

Mr. Ralph St. John, a personal friend

of Sir Ian McKellen, is delighted to

announce that the show will go on.

Despite losing an actor to a fatal asthma

attack and himself suffering a recent

hospitalisation, Mr. Stingen says the

Brokenwood community deserves theatre of

a professional standard. With all

proceeds going to Awesome Orphans,

tonight's show is a sellout.

That says a lot. Yeah, about Ralph

Stingen's massive ego. I think you're

right about the Bunchausen thing.

Seriously?Can I get Ruth Phelps in here?

Let me talk to Grey Jenkins first.

Where's my lawyer?My question isn't about

you, it's about putting on a play. Well,

if I don't like what you ask, I won't

answer. Fair enough. Billy Franks was the

understudy for Laertes. Yes. So who was

the understudy for Hamlet?No one.

I was too big, no Hamlet, no show. Well,

you could do it. You've done it before.

Oh, 40 years ago, yes.

What about Rafe?He must not. Detect,

there are 30,000 words that Hamlet

speaks. Plus, he's too old.

Every male actor thinks they have the

definitive Hamlet inside them. In the

end, most of them get too scared to try

or are never asked.

The rest are often terrible. Most of them

get too old and a chance passes them by.

At least, I had

my chance. Paper bag or no paper

bag. And Rafe never did. And never will,

which is why he resents me so much.

You should get yourself cleaned up. Oh

hey, I've just realised, if Ruth Phelps

wanted to hurt her daughter, who would

her next target be?Who is she in love

with?Jared. Best we get to the theatre.

I can't go on knowing Jared thought I was

a joke. Oh, nonsense. You'd be

magnificent. Men like that, they get

what they deserve. That boy

does not deserve you.

All right, places everybody, beginners,

stand by. Hey,

you can do this.

We can do this.

Please. For me,

and especially for your

father.

Am I late?

Am I late?

We had an earlier call.

Yeah, I didn't get the message. And why

are you wearing my costume?Jared,

we've talked amongst ourselves and

decided that you will be stood down as

Hamlet. What?All this nonsense, playing

with a young girl's emotions. Jared,

it's ******** mate. Really crap,

actually. We can't have you falling apart

on stage, mate. And we weren't sure

quite how far you would go.

What's going on?As Rafe is the only

one with a working knowledge of the part,

he will play the title role.

Yeah, good luck with that.

Ladies and gentlemen, the role of Hamlet

tonight will be performed by Rafe St.

Jim. Thank you.

Hey, you're okay?A

bit of her pride, but yeah, why?

Taking cyanide, that's a hell of a way to

move the spotlight off yourself. Excuse

me?That must have taken some guts, but

then you did have the amyl nitrite. It

falls out all the aging toxins in your

skin. Stop it, come here.

I'm going to rip you. What are you

talking about?The casing of the anvil I

found in the Theatre Society toilets.

Still, if you're going

to mess around with cyanide, pays to have

the antidote handy too.

An ambulance, please. The damn plastic

wouldn't disappear. Like the inhaler on

the bin.

Are you aware there are over

150 people out there

waiting for the show to begin?

Yes. I don't have

time to read the paper. Oh, but it's all

about you. It's the interview you gave

before we spoke to you at the hospital. I

gave many interviews. Meaning you'd

already decided that the show would goon.

There are some very influential people in

that audience who will not appreciate

being kept waiting. You knew there was no

danger because the danger could only come

from you. Critics from the city. And why

is that, Ray?They're all here to see what

the commotion is about. This play has

garnered incredible attention for all the

wrong reasons. It's a marvellous

production. See, that's the bit I

couldn't quite work out. Until my

esteemed colleague, Detective Sims,

posited the notion of Munchausen's by

proxy. What is this nonsense?

Detective?Where a

parent deliberately hurts their own child

in order to seek attention.

In 78% of reported cases, it's a maternal

perpetrator, but... In rarer cases, it's

the father. Ben was expendable. You

knew you had Billy waiting to step up.

This is nonsense.

Nonsensical nonsense.

Killing Ben was hitting the thing you

love the most, your precious play,

to get the eyes of the world on you.

Having first doctored the blood bag to

point the finger at Grey, you then

engineered to play the title role

yourself by casting Jared as the bad guy,

ensuring that your Hamlet would be seen

by all the most important people, and

that long, overdue recognition would be

rightfully yours.

Isn't that right, Rafe?Or Bill or...

Whoever it is you think you are,

this needs to wait till after the show.

What, arrest you later?So that you can

fulfill your dream?So

many people, you see.

To be

or not to be.

Rape Syngin, I'm arresting you for the

murder of Ben Faulkner. Using

your own flesh and blood. You sad,

pathetic man. Jared.

Where's Jared?Jared,

you're on. Shall we get the show on the

road?Let's go and break a leg, Billy.

Hello.

Ladies and gentlemen, excuse me, ladies

and gentlemen, another change to this

evening's show. The title role will again

be played by Jared Morohoo. Thank you.

Sorry about before. Love your work

really, Jared. We can do this.

Okay, here's the thing. I would have

handed in that assignment, but I thought

my thesis was too radical. I always

thought, to gain a better insight into

Hamlet's psyche, he should have been

played as a woman.

Really?Crazy, I know. Well, that's a

shame. You would have received an

excellence for it. We got thrown

together

By some good fortune Out in

the wilds in

November Who's there?

Hey, answer me!And

the Brokenwood Mysteries continues next

Friday at the same time here on Drama.

Next, though, we're back to London for

new tricks. Don't let it go.

No, don't let it go. Don't

let it go.