Taking to the stage this week is a highly enjoyable and rare treat from three impressive actors, performing Alfred Uhry's ‘Driving Miss Daisy'.

Detour Theatre has brought this Pulitzer Prize winning play to an appreciative Tauranga audience with warmth, depth and humanity.

Kim Williamson plays Miss Daisy Werthan, an aging Southern matron. Frequently irritable and crochety, sparks fly as she proudly refuses to hand over her independence to her wealthy son, and to the chauffeur he hires to drive her around.

As she battles the effects of growing old through a period of 25 years, the story follows the subtle and poignant shifts in her relationship with the patient chauffeur Hoke, played with gentle patience and understanding by David Tauranga. This unlikely partnership between the odd couple is a fascinating plot device as it fuels conflict, while promoting human understanding between very different people.

Hoke initially endures her verbal assaults with subservient humour, but gradually makes a more determined assertion of his own dignity. He stubbornly serves with cheerfulness; and slowly trust and then respect grows. David's soft chuckles underlie the good heart of both this fine actor and the character he plays. Their deepening relationship, which is at the heart of the story, becomes a mutually appreciative friendship, as they etch their interactions against various backdrops from cemetery to city roads.

Chris Parnell brings a depth and Southern warmth to his performance as the son who recognises the frustrating symptoms of aging impacting his parent. His well-spoken American accent is the first soft pull towards the play's sense of timelessness, as the audience is transported back in time to the Atlanta of the late 1940's.

Beautifully and simply staged, the play gently explores the consequential issues of growing older, racial prejudice and religious faith through subtle shifts, expressions and touching moments, giving an ageless and gently refined social commentary. This is an intimate eavesdrop into the enduring friendship of a couple of unlikely friends during the onset of old age, and as such leaves one with a sense of nostalgia and a slight tear in the eye.

A modern classic drama, brought effortlessly to Detour Theatre's stage with pathos and heart by experienced director Devon Williamson.

Driving Miss Daisy runs from September 13-29. Bookings are available online at: www.iticket.co.nz, over the phone on: 0508 iTICKET and over the counter at Tauranga i-SITE.

Information on the Detour Theatre Trust can be found via: www.detour.co.nz

Older Hoke and Miss Daisy.