Malthouse Theatre, Nov 27 to Dec 13, 2015
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars:***1/2
Full review also published in Herald Sun in print & online on Mon Nov 30, 2015.KH
Richard Higgins & Matthew Kelly
In the
domain of children’s theatre, The Listies are masters of audience participation
that mainly involves kids and parents excitedly chucking stuff at these
relentlessly cheerful performers.
In their
joyfully shambolic show for the Malthouse, The Listies Ruin Xmas, Richard
Higgins and Matthew Kelly scramble around their scruffy stage indulging in all manner
of madcap, pre-Christmas escapades.
In the
best tradition of slapstick comedy duos, Higgins plays the obliging and
tolerant straight man to Kelly’s adorable goofball, but to the audience they
are simply Rich and Matt.
These eternal
man-boys conjure the spirit of Christmas Eve with a spindly, plastic Christmas
tree, piles of colourfully wrapped presents, bikkies and milk for Santa,
twinkling strings of lights and their big bed smack in the middle of it all.
Their
dialogue is littered with a trail of bad puns, goofy Christmas jokes, some
adult references and apologies for gags that don’t work.
The
physical, comic business is the highlight, starting with the present wrapping
that leaves Matt trapped in sticky-tape with gifts stuck to his hands.
They
dress in giant, green, Chrissie tree costumes (Marg Horwell) covered with
velcro so that, when the enthusiastic kids hurl puffy Christmas baubles at
them, they stick hilariously to their jolly targets.
Higgins
and Kelly are charming and engaging, chatting directly with the crowd, crawling
across seats to get comments and hauling volunteers of all ages on stage to
participate in songs and stories.
With Matt
wearing a shoddy, grey wig to play Rich’s Nan, the pair presents Karaoke by
Candlelight, teaching everyone the Aussie Seven Days of Christmas with three
child volunteers burping in unison to punctuate the chorus.
Instead
of ‘A partridge in a pear tree’, we sing, ‘Two mozzies biting and a roast when
it’s 40 degrees’, then the lyrics just get sillier and accompanying gestures
more provocative.
To the
delight of the kids, there are enormous water guns, even bigger snow making devices
and a bubble machine.
The
Listies delight in poo and fart jokes and they simply annihilate a fairy tale,
renaming it Jack and The Beans Talk, a story that features a dad playing the
front half of a huge, green cow-dragon thingy.
The
Listies Ruin Xmas is rough and ready kids’ theatre that will tighten up as they
sort out the gags they like and elevate the chaos even further, but it’s sunny
entertainment from two chirpy and clever performers.
By
Kate Herbert
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