Review: Bogan Literature: Pride & Prejudice at Rooftop Movies

Bogan Literature: Pride & Prejudice at Rooftop Movies
Sunday, April 30, 2023

8.5/10

“What is this, the Regency Period?"

BS Productions, the team behind massive WA success story Bogan Shakespeare, are back and they're doing Austen, baby!

Being the bogan version, our protagonist Elizabeth Bennet (Maiken Kruger) and the aloof Mr Darcy (Stuart Hayward) are based between present day Joondy and Hillarys, with a date at the Breakwater and a big night out at Metro City thrown in for good measure.

This promising first venture outside Shakespeare and Fringe World shares much in common with the troupe's now legendary takes on the Bard. From the five actors crossing genders and playing several more characters, to their frequent breaking of the fourth wall, and the postdramatic sets that allow for much of the backstage mechanics and costume changes to remain deliberately visible, the intimacy and basic crowd involvement principles are the same.

The minimalist set, too, was well used and expanded upon, including an L-shaped, catwalk-like extension down one side, and excursions into the audience (including one very public marriage proposal).

More importantly, Pride & Prejudice shares in the hilarity of previous productions. In short, this crew is funny AF. Playwright Dean Lovatt's scripts are always tight and packed with lols, while the cast (including impressive newcomer Hayward) never failed to fire their lines at a rapid pace, leaving audiences in stitches.

By now it's hardly surprising. A local success story if ever there was one, this year's Bogan Shakespeare production of Hamlet became the first Fringe show to ever sell out the Heath Ledger Theatre (and on multiple occasions, if you don't mind).

That's a feat unto itself, but considering all the fancy touring productions and multitude of international artists Fringe attracts year on year, the fact that this was achieved by just five local performers and their crew is nothing short of a winning WA feel-good story.

At Rooftop Movies, the crowds proved a little smaller, leading to an intimacy well-suited to the style, but lacking some of the atmosphere created by a room full of spectators roaring their appreciation in unison. To be fair, a chilly late autumn night and persistent cool breeze sending the sweet smell of portaloos over the audience didn't exactly aid in the ambience.

What undeniably worked and gave Bogan Literature a fresh take, was the way in which updating a Jane Austen Regency classic leaned so well into Kath & Kim territory. In one of the least annoying and more perfect Mrs Bennets ever portrayed, Sarah Courtis nailed the overbearing without being annoying, and her sharp Aussie twang on one-liners like “Remember if it's not on, it's not on!" was spot on.

And have we ever seen a Lizzy Bennet with a sleeve tattoo? In the starring role, South African/New Zealand/Australian actor Kruger excelled thanks to a seamless Aussie accent and perfectly incredulous update of Lizzy. Her inability to suffer fools may take a beating when conned by the dastardly Mr Wickham (Harrison Mitchell, who also played Bingley), but her nonplussed cynicism and aversion to mansplaining ensured a bogan heroine for our times.

Above all, it was the local flavour so unmissably P-town that won the night. Transforming Lady Catherine de Bourgh from overbearing aunt to FIFO-rich Darcy's immediate employer, a Gina Rinehart-like mining magnate (played by bearded big man Lovett in a red wig), gives just a little insight into the way our great state was immortalised through bogan eyes. “Oh no, please don't take away my netball sponsorship!" Lizzy pleads sarcastically in one of the show's most hysterical moments.

From the Lydia puppet (“now you're putting words in my mouth!") to a choreographed Nutbush City Limits dance routine, the laughs came thick and fast and that's what mattered. Yes, Lovett's scripts are clever as all hell, but it's all for nought on a show like this if it isn't funny. And it was real fucken funny, mate.

Bogan Literature: Pride & Prejudice continues until this Sunday at Rooftop Movies. Tickets are on sale here 

HARVEY RAE

Photos by Daniel Cox