THEATRE DIGITAL
Written by James Hazelden and Nicholas Rasche
Produced by La Mama Theatre & Mystery Radio Theatre
Digital season 4-18 May 2022 https://watch.lamama.com.au
Reviewer: Kate Herbert This review of digital recorded performance
Stars:***
This review published only on this blog. KH
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Subhumans - pic from video |
Subhumans is a goofy, pseudo-radio play written by James Hazelden and Nicholas Rasche. It begins with a female, naval Lieutenant who is floating at sea after she escapes from her British submarine during World War II. She makes radio contact with a voice that demands she tell the entire story, doing all the characters voices and sound effects.
The crew of the submarine HMS Pretty Pink Unicorn (named by the Rear Admiral’s granddaughter), are a motley bunch with assorted British accents ranging from toffy English to Cockney and broad Scots. Also on board is a strangely philosophical, German professor/adviser whose only role seems to explain Germanisms such as that ‘Das Boot’ means ‘boat; not ‘boot’ in English. Idiot!
The crew receive their instructions via a recording played through a replica head resting on a pedestal. The Captain is ‘eccentric’, according to the Commander, or ‘insane’, according to the female Lieutenant. Mostly, he’s weak, whimpering and cowardly. Evidently, he tried to shoot himself in the foot to get out of service, but he missed. Idiot!
On their way to fight the Hun and destroy Hitler’s navy, they confront a giant squid, but their torpedo doesn't fire. The sub’s directional systems and torpedo launcher will not respond. ‘’
When they find a mutilated body in the torpedo tube, their recorded instructions via the head tells them they were carrying a genetically engineered monster is to be fired at Hitler, but it has escaped.
At that point, they proceed to hunt, incompetently and ineffectively, for the creature that is on the loose in the sub. People start exploding – Yes, exploding – and the German professor begins to instruct the remaining crew how to survive – until he too explodes.
It’s all a bit silly, cheesy and predicable, riddled with puns, miscommunications, verbal gags, character stereotypes and racial slurs and British accents all performed in the style of a very old radio play. But it’s a bit of a hoot.
by Kate Herbert
Directed by James Hazelden
Written by James Hazelden and Nicholas Rasche
Lighting and sound design by Allan Hirons
Cast:
Frank Handrum as Newman
Sophie Kneebone as Jones
Nicholas Rasche as Smith
Kathryn Tohill as Prescott
Mark Woodward as Untermensch
Chris Tomkins as Collins
Subhumans - pic from video
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