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| Brian Kavanagh, Alyce Nesbitt, Dim Ristevski, Mark Woods, Jane Kellett, Kevin Crowe,Cerri Murphy Photo: Craig and Therese Bartlett |
Presented by Mad Ferret Productions
Tuggeranong Arts Centre until May 26th
Reviewed by Bill Stephens
Move over C.J.Dennis you have a rival. Andrew Hackwill has
invented his own highly entertaining musical genre, the larrikin musical, notable
for their catchy tunes and gloriously silly plots. This is the fourth of Hackwill’s musicals to
be premiered at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre in recent years, and certainly the
most polished.
Not only is Hackwill the writer and composer of “The Court
of Swing Caractacus”, he is also the director, designer, musical director,
choreographer and set builder, and has gathered around him a talented cast who
share his taste for silliness, a jaunty six piece band in which he plays, and six
energetic swing dancers to add additional colour and movement to compliment
Christine Pawlicki’s already riotous costumes.
In a cheeky homage to C.J.Dennis, the story is narrated in verse
by a cheerful character called Hec (a delightful performance by Brian Kavanagh)
who helpfully includes the stage directions just in case you’ve missed them and
who ends up with the winsome Mary (Alyce Nesbitt). It concerns three unlikely fortune tellers,
Wong, Elle and Jack ( gleefully portrayed by Mark Woods, Jane Kellett and Kevin
Crowe), who are threatened with eviction from their Caractacus Court
premises by a devious agent, Wilheim
(Dim Ristveski) and his co-hort Nora (Cerri Murphy).
Each gets a solo, of which “It’s Good to Be Wong”, which
gives new meaning to the word ‘boogie’ and “Me and My Mountain” are stand-outs,
even if most of the lyrics are lost under the over-enthusiastic band.
(This review appears on the CITY NEWS website and will appear in the print edition published 24th May - May 29th)