Popular 70s musical duo The Carpenters are back - but this time their story is not so sad.
In a curious twist, Karen and Richard Carpenter have been resurrected the form of hilarious country bumpkins Darren and Sharon Carpenter, in music/comedy The Carpenters from Kempsey.
The show is currently on a nation-wide tour and comes to Brisbane’s QUT Gardens Theatre on 18 and 19 September. We caught up with co-writer and star Darren Mapes (“Darren Carpenter”) to find out the story behind the new show.
What inspired you to write a new story for The Carpenters – and make it funny?
“We used to do a straight Carpenters tribute show, and it was a bit of a retrospective on Karen and Richard Carpenters’ life.
“Although their music is very well-known, their lives were actually very tragic and the songs themselves are quite sad. We noticed that it made for a dreary night for the audience!
“But people did come because they wanted to hear the songs they loved, so between my writing partner Linda Nagle and myself we decided we needed to make people laugh.
“We created a story around two characters – Darren and Sharon Carpenter – twins from Kempsey in NSW who are hopeless at just about everything they do. But the twist is that they’re obsessed with The Carpenters and sound just like them when they sing.
“So although it’s a different and more up-beat story, we still pay homage to the music of The Carpenters.”
Why did you pick the country – and “Kempsey”?
“Actually I grew up on a farm in Warwick; I had country boy upbringing. A lot of the little stories that make up the lives of Darren and Sharon Carpenter are based on real experiences.
“But as for Kempsey, it just sounded really good!”
What do you think is the best thing about the show?
“Most people come for the music, and it’s very common for the audiences to sing along to their favourite songs.
“They come to the show expecting to see The Carpenters and they get a bit of comedy and have a good laugh – that’s something they don’t expect.
“Now, instead of a dreary night, we hope they have a great night!”
