Review: ‘Extraordinary Auspol’ at The Blue Room Theatre
Extraordinary Auspol at The Blue Room Theatre
Saturday, September 2, 2023
7.5/10
Extraordinary Auspol is a hilarious and entertaining production that delves into some of the more surreal and extraordinary moments of Australian political history. Delivered at breakneck speed and with a heady dose of irreverence, the show excels due to its ability to find laugh-out-loud humour in the traditionally stuffy and dry subject matter of politics.
The show is from BS Productions, who are known for their Bogan adaptations of Shakespeare, and most recently, Jane Austen, and represents the company’s first venture outside of the ‘bogan’ format. While there are similarities between this production and the company’s previous work, the show’s subject matter and original script allow for a greater mix of humour and satire with keen observations and social commentary than has previously been seen.
There are tales from all sides of the political spectrum in the production. One of the more common perils of leaders in the annals of political history, a disregard for the complexities of the given situation, raises its hand several times. But to be fair, who knew that a flightless bird would be so cunning as to employ guerrilla tactics during The Great Emu War? Or in the case of Billy Hughes, the Australian Prime Minister during World War I, that the public would eschew the mounting casualties of the war effort to show their support in an unnecessary public vote to introduce conscription. Twice.
The show’s script is tight, with writer-director Dean Lovatt and keen political educator and YouTuber, David Cox, balancing the show’s humour with an equal measure of reflection. Cox brings their knowledge of the subject matter to the show by co-starring as the narrator and MC of proceedings, providing setting and context for the scenes that are played out by local stars Georgia McGivern and Tate Bennett.
Cox was a bit nervous early in the show, but soon found their feet as the production hit its strides, while McGivern and Bennett’s experience on the boards allowed the two players to lead the way. The pair radiated energy from the moment the curtain lifted and they shared a great chemistry on stage. The number of roles that both were asked to perform was a tall order, but neither let anything stop them from getting the maximum laughter out of each and every cheap prop or daggy gag that came their way.
While the show in no way attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of politics, it succeeds at getting to the core of the subject matter. By exploring the inanity that often lies at the intersection of steadfast beliefs and the myriad of social intricacies that politicians attempt to govern over, the troupe demonstrated a rarely seen human-side of politicians, while also identifying the social progress that Australian governments have enacted in recent decades.
Not a bad effort for mine, particularly as they provided a myriad of laughs along the way. It gets my vote.
MICHAEL HOLLICK
