Why the stars of The Brokenwood Mysteries can’t get enough of murder.
Stars of The Brokenwood Mysteries reveal why they have murder on the minds, while this week’s guest star, Louise Wallace, talks about her life-long love of acting. Kerry Harvey reports.
Murder has become an obsession for Brokenwood Mysteries stars Fern Sutherland and Neill Rea.
“I never used to watch that much murder until I started this job and now, I’m so into it, I cannot get enough,” says Sutherland, admitting she is always looking for ideas on how to kill people.
“I watch a lot the true life crime stories, and that is messed up, but I have to say, with Brokenwood, there’s not a lot of gore. It’s tasteful murder.” Now in its fourth season, The
Brokenwood Mysteries is often described as New Zealand’s answer to the long-running Midsomer
Murders. Like its English counterpart, the Kiwi series is a hit with audiences around the world, proving popular in places like France, Denmark and Bulgaria as well as the UK, US and Australia.
It follows country music-loving, former city cop Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Rea) and Detective Constable Kristin Sims (Sutherland) as they solve murders in what must be New Zealand’s most dangerous small town, Brokenwood.
While New Zealand’s spectacular scenery and the series’ unique Kiwi flavour account for some of its popularity, most fans are there to find out whodunit.
Rea and Sutherland are no exceptions.
“I have a wee thing with Tim (Balme) who writes it and go, ‘I guessed it here’,” says Rea, who also has his own ideas for bizarre murders.
“I think the killing Santa one was mine. I had a go writing one and I got about 30 pages in but I chose the wrong murder weapon. It was a circus one and he got killed by an elephant.
“And it’s quite hard to find an elephant,” Sutherland deadpans, adding it’s not just the cast who have murder on their minds.
“All the guest actors come on and are like, ‘Have you thought about one where everyone…?’ People on the street or people who say they really like the show, they’ve always got ideas.”
Rea adds, “It’s something that people really love. I was at a show and (playwright) Roger Hall was there and he came up and gave me an idea.
‘Here you can have that one for free’. I think the genre of the whodunit hooks everyone in.” There is certainly no shortage of local actors keen to try their hand at murder – or even become a victim. Past guests have included Miranda Harcourt, Robyn Malcolm, Amanda Billing,
Mark Mitchinson and Shane Cortese. This season is no exception with veteran Kiwi actors including Ian Mune lining up to kill or be killed. “You’re like, ‘These people, they’ve taught me. I learn from them’ and now I get to be in a scene and they’re going, ‘Is that alright? Is that what you need from me? How can I get better in the scene for you’,” says Sutherland. Rea is equally impressed with the calibre of the guests but less so with his vehicular co-star – the vintage Holden Kingswood that is DSS Shepherd’s pride and joy. “I hate that Kingswood,” he says and so, it seems does Sutherland. “Neill drives it really, really well. I tried to drive it, I tried to reverse it and it was terrible. It’s no power steering, the gears are column, it’s a nightmare. I don’t know how it gets a warrant,” she says. “I think if there is a next season, Mike might have to have a new car as that one is on its last legs. Maybe the car can be a victim.”