More Than a Game REVIEW August 25 2022 ***

The Unauthorised Footy Show Musical

Book by Jacob Buckley & Michael Whyntie, Music & Lyrics by Walter Buckley

At Chapel off Chapel, The Loft 25-28 August 2022

Reviewer: Kate Herbert

Stars: ***

This review published only on this blog. KH

Amelia Hender Ned Baulderstone Harry Fiedler Walter Buckley-pic Frank Lynch

It’s bad enough when your personal life goes to hell when your best friend hooks up with your recently ex-wife, but when you're a faded footy hero and TV footy identity, your private life explodes into a very public media frenzy. And so it was for the hapless Footy Show clown and former AFL footballer, Billy Brownless.

 

Of course, once the dust had settled, the last thing Brownless would want is a bunch of young musical theatre makers performing a totally unauthorised version of his personal horror story, complete with songs, parody and drunken histrionics.

 

With book by Jacob Buckley and Michael Whyntie and music and lyrics by Walter Buckley (I presume the Buckleys are related?), More Than a Game is a hoot. The songs are full of witty, well-observed lyrics and there are several rocking tunes played by a tight four-piece band led by arranger Regi Ashman.

 

Walter Buckley is suitably clownish, luckless, vulnerable and boozy as Billy while Ned Baulderstone gives a spirited performance as Garry and Sahra Cresshull sparkles in a couple of smaller roles and the chorus work.

 

The show is only 60 minutes, so we can forgive some of the wrinkles such as laboriously slow scenes changes that could easily be covered by music. You’ve got a live band, guys! Use them! The acting is uneven, but the young cast makes up for that by being vivacious and totally committed to their roles and the broad comic parodic style.

 

The production has potential and starts well but is patchy for the second half and the script structure needs reworking. The writers, Whyntie and Jacob Buckley, evidently directed the performance but it would be advisable to have an outside, experienced director to tighten the show, and a dramaturg to provide some assistance with the script.

 

More Than a Game is good fun for an hour and it certainly succeeded at the Adelaide Fringe Festival. This young company needs to be encouraged.

 

by Kate Herbert

 

Cast:

Walter Buckley - Billy

Erin Sowerby - Nicky

Ned Baulderstone - Garry 

Harry Fiedler - Sam 

Sahra Cresshull - PA/Agent

Amelia Hender – Lawyer

 

Band:

Band Leader/ Arrangement: Regi Ashman

Bass: Enne Rignanese

Keyboard: Darcie Bills

Drums: Alex Keser

Guitar: Chris Commerford

 

Song list:

Lights Camera Action

Cheers and Cheers

Big Bad Billy

Glory Days

More Than A Game

Young Dumb Full of Cum

In Billy's Defence

Hundreds Not Enough

Genuine Swine Part 1

Genuine Swine Part 2

The Ballad of Billy

I Want My Billy Back