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| Meredith O'Rielly - Lynne McGranger - Andrew James - Wayne Scott-Kermond in "The Grandparents Club" |
Written by Wendy Harmer – Music by John Fields
Directed by Luke Joslin – Choreographed by Leanne Halloran
Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse – July 12th and 13th, 2024.
Performance on 12th July reviewed BILL STEPHENS
Written by Wendy Harmer with a specific audience in mind, this delightful all- Australian musical revue is an entertaining celebration of the world of grandparenthood, incorporating just about every grandparent joke in the stand-up joke book, but refreshingly without needing to resort to coarse language or smut.
Helmed by the irrepressible Wayne Scott-Kermond as Jimmy Bigelow, the jovial President of The Grandparents Club, whose performance alone is worth the price of admission, with Lynne McGranger and Andrew James as regular club attendees, Liz and Jeff and Meredith O’Rielly as Maria, an Italian nonna who’s also an eligible widow, the show features 17 catchy original songs by John Fields of The Wiggles fame.
Essentially a series of set-pieces strung together by a slim storyline, the show follows four friends on a night out in their favourite club who comment on the trials and rewards of grandparenthood through songs, jokes, comedy and dance routines cleverly staged by director Luke Joslin and choreographer Leanne Halloran, and skilfully performed by this quartet of senior actors who know exactly how to perform this material so that it feels fresh, relevant and right on target.
Mo Award Musical Theatre Performer of the Year recipient, Wayne Scott Kermond is a master of vaudevillian shtick. Fresh from playing Doc in this year’s acclaimed production of West Side Story on Sydney Harbour, with long experience starring in a succession of major musicals. Among these are Barnum, Oliver, Guys & Dolls, The Producers, A Chorus Line, Chicago, Singin’ In The Rain and Wicked. Kermond pulls out every trick of the trade as the all singing and dancing Jimmy Bigelow, a dab hand at conducting sit down yoga and hilarious Zumba classes.
Probably better known as the irascible Irene Roberts in the long running television serial Home & Away, Lynne McGranger played this role for over 30 years, earning her the distinction of being acknowledged as the longest serving female cast member of any Australian TV show.
Before joining Home & Away full time in 1993, McGranger had written, choreographed and performed in numerous productions, from comedy and drama to cabaret and musicals. She brings all these skills to the fore as the bragging granny who wants to live life to the full, providing a memorable highlight, singing up a storm with I’m Too Young To Be A Grandma
flanked by Kermond and James, hilarious as her aging chorus boys.
Nominated for Helpmann and Green Room Awards for her roles in a string of major musicals, including Les Miserables, Love Never Dies, Hello Dolly, Gypsy, and the Julie Andrews directed My Fair Lady, Meredith O’Rielly, as the Italian nonna, gets to sing the best song in the show, the poignant “Child of My Child”.
Besides also appearing in a string of television shows including Home & Away, A Country Practice, All Saints, Water Rats and Prisoner, Andrew James has performed numerous roles for Bell Shakespeare, Sydney Theatre Company, Nimrod Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company.
In this show James plays Liz’s good natured, long suffering husband, and Bigelow’s best friend and accomplice, Jeff, delighting particularly when nonchalantly flaunting his song and dance skills in numbers such as “There’s No App For That”.
Performed on an attractive setting representing the foyer of any favourite community club, by a quartet of accomplished performers, The Grandparents Club is right on target providing quality entertainment for its target audience.
This review first published in the digital edition of CITY NEWS ON 15.07.2024.
