La
Mama, April 2 to 13, 2003
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
Open for Inspection
is a short comedy about two incompetent out of work actors (Andrea Tatman, Tom Bradley
OK) who want to be TV show hosts.
Not just any TV show
but one of those Do It Yourself home renovation type shows. Why, we ask. Therein
lies the comic premise of this play.
There are two
problems in Open for Inspection. The acting style is hysterical and speedy
leaving little space for characterisation or physical comedy. The other problem is that the dialogue
is wordy and the jokes often laboured.
There are a couple
of genuinely funny gags in this script. One is about Jack Nicholson and Kathy Bates.
Another is about Desiree potatoes. Much of the remaining
dialogue is overwritten. Gags take too long to reach their tag or the joke is
reiterated so that it loses its punch.
There is no real
characterisation. The characters are not clearly distinguished from each other.
They speak the same language with a few variations. Jenny and Geoff seem
to be complete idiots with few redeeming features which makes them hard to like. The frenetic pace of
their speech and action leaves little space for any jokes to reach the audience.
The story begins
with the moment they are informed that their rental flat is to be sold. Real estate
agent, Peter, (Brett Sleigh)
announces that there will be three inspections per week. The pair attempt to
sabotage the sale of the flat by childishly messing up the house each visit.
They devise a
laughable plan to buy the place. Jenny bluffs her way into a nanny job to make
money while Geoff messes up the house. Only when they
discover that Jenny's employer (Penelope Bartlau) is part of the family that
is producing a new DIY TV show, do they think they have a future.
The story is awkward
and a bit silly. This play needs some overhauling. The final monologues
are funny. The pair finally succumb to an actor's nightmare. Doing bad ads on
television.
By Kate Herbert
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