Rating:

The current show at Williamston Theater is an off-beat comedy called The Smell of the Kill. Like all shows at WT, this one was well-produced, well-acted, and well-directed on a set designed perfectly for the intimate space.

We spend 90 minutes in the kitchen with Molly, Nicky, and Debra. Their husbands are friends; the women are not, but they tolerate each other, much like they tolerate their husbands. That all changes when something happens in the basement. That’s all I can, or I will spoil things.

We only see the women. Laura Croff, Teri Clark Linden, and Emily Sutton-Smith are marvelous as the wives. They show their pain and their confusion, and they quickly develop a love-hate relationship with the audience, which serves us well as we sit back and enjoy their antics. This show is part Desperate Housewives, part I Love Lucy, and part Stepford Wives. The three stars go from serious to funny and back again faster than the Concord, while never missing a beat. You never see the husbands or the basement; all you hear is their voices (and other sounds they make). This works because your own imagination can run wild. My only problem with the show was I had a little trouble hearing the husbands in the beginning. Since that was quickly corrected, and I assume it will not be a problem when you see this show yourself, I will overlook that minor flaw and give this show a perfect 4 out of Fordyce.

 Jim Fordyce with the Cast of “Smell of the Kill”