Porky Pies is a high school reunion from the moment the audience enters the bar, is greeted by ex-school captain, Kitty Dixon (Elke Osadnik), given their name tags and encouraged to mingle with each other, as well as with the other ex-students, Roger (Miles Bence), Stan (Josh Futcher), the barman (Erin Klein), Garry (Dom Phelan), Lindy (Alex Lee) and the DJ DJ (Alister Newstead).As Veronica and Alex state in the program notes, the idea was born in 1991, has been developed, edited, re-invented and was produced at last year’s Melbourne Fringe to excellent reviews, but this year the show feels like it’s simply more of the same. New director, Helen McFarlane, has clearly been important to the process from the cast and company’s point of view, but if ‘Two Straws Productions’ was going to go to the effort of producing the show yet again, I was left feeling like more could have been done to increase the credibility of the performances and reduce the element of caricature which existed in the previous version, though the use of video in this version was an excellent addition.
Like last time, the feeling from start to finish is fun. It’s not Shakespeare and doesn’t try to be. It’s an ordinary ten year high school reunion, where you wonder what people will think of you, if and how people have changed, seeing people you fought with and never liked, being scared to be honest about how little you’ve achieved or admit you haven’t lived the life you once dreamed of. How do you admit you left school to become a parking inspector? How do you admit you studied at drama school only to end up on a cheesy TV show wearing a bear suit? It’s awkward, funny, occasionally poignant, honest and full of peoples’ ‘porky pies’, which are gradually revealed, at all the wrong times, over the course of the evening.
The inclusions of Dom Phelan, Josh Futcher and Erin Klein to the cast are all solid choices. Dom, as the new G-train, was credible from start to finish, sometimes scarily so. Josh was a natural ‘Zoo Weekly’ editor-in-chief and Erin made the playful transition between the barman and Noel with ease and fun. The slow moments, which existed in the previous version, felt slower if not dead this time, but the overall feeling was light and generally entertaining.
Theatre is about taking risks and the company has proven it’s prepared to do so, but if it is to continue to grow it must continue to step outside its comfort zone, avoid being precious and safe and either slash and burn the work to improve it, or move on and try something else. This version and production reflected the company ‘playing it safe’, so I look forward to seeing what’s next and what else it might have to offer.
Veronica Milsom, Alex Lee & Two Straws Production present
Porky Pies
Venue: Sentido Funf Bar, 243-245 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
Dates: 25th March – 10th April (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and Monday 31st March
Tickets: $16 Generation WHY discount (24-30 years) $19 Full, $15 Tuesdays/Group 10+
Times: 8:00pm
Bookings: Purple Rooms online at www.comedyfestival.com.au or Purple Box Office at City Square (opposite Melbourne Town Hall)
More info: www.porkypiestheplay.com or call 0422 382 033