Melbourne Comedy Festival
Lower Melbourne Town Hall until April 21, 2002
Bookings: 1300 66
0013
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
Ridiculusmus is an
extraordinary and skilful piece of absurd theatrical comedy.
Two British actors, David Woods and Jon Hough stand face to
face atop a suitcase filled with grass. From this restricted space they create,
through characters, a miniature version of the maddening world of Ireland.
Kevin (Woods OK) is an Englishman from Humberside who prides
himself on his Irish ancestry. He has a Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies and
arrives on the Irish border between Derry in the North and Donegal OK in the
South to facilitate forums for peace groups. It is an hilariously futile
exercise.
We never see him achieve anything apart from sabotaging his
own conflict resolution forum, ironically by shouting at a co-worker.
He stands nose to nose with his Southern landlady, Sally
Brady. She swindles him out of thirty quid sterling a week for a room already
occupied. Hough plays Sally with a softly irritating and intrusive manner that
would drive any alcoholic to drink. Kevin has no hope.
His other nemesis is Frank, a northerner, also played by
Hough. He plays Frank with such a wonderful rapid-fire brogue that he is
incomprehensible to both Kevin and us.
Frank harasses Kevin to attend meetings and drink with him
but tells him nothing.
Say nothing is the title of this British Council funded show
and that is exactly what the Irish do. They shut right up. Kevin is driven to
distraction by the time he leaves months later.
He is dragged into
the conspiracy of silence. His need to contribute and redress the indignities
done to the Irish by the English is ruined by frustrating resistance of the
Irish.
What is so fascinating about this piece is its eccentric
theatricality. Woods and Hough use impeccable timing and compelling and
surprising transformations of characters.
They interpolate
snatches of violent racist rantings amidst the pallid conversations with Sally
and Frank, the passive-aggressive characters. The dialogue is reincorporated
and repeated as scenes are replayed.
This is a treat in a Comedy Festival always dominated by
stand-up comedians.
By Kate Herbert
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