Anno Zombie 

Being trapped in David Jones when the Zombie Apocalypse hits Melbourne is not all bad – at least they have a food court.

Presented by Baggage Productions, this latest work by Bridgette Burton has a selection of characters trapped in DJs, watching the zombie horde outside through the front windows.

The first entrance and appearance of the cast was clever and received probably the loudest laugh of the night. After that it really struggled to live up to the advertising as a “Zom Com”, with very few laugh out loud moments.

The action moved at a slow pace as we are introduced to the archetypal survivors - a Melbourne hipster with a coffee obsession, a personal shopper, a gay youth, an upper class couple, and eventually joining them, a scientist and her formerly meek husband turned Rambo. And the zombie roaming outside.

Volume and diction were an issue at times; one actor tending to be inaudible by the end of her lines and another spoke so rapidly sometimes it was unintelligible.

Most consistent performance of the night was Matthew Dorning as the Zombie. He remained in character and fully focused as he negotiated his wheelbarrow around the tight spaces and did some remarkable movements when changing rostra levels . His biggest laugh came as he growled and shut an exit door left open by an audience member.

Honorable mention should be made of Kelly Nash “Vera” and Bruce Langdon “Freddie”, who inhabited their characters totally and impressed with their acapella singing.

The small stage was overfilled with rostra of different levels and the movement from level to level was often awkward and slowed the action as actors concentrated on climbing up, then climbing down (and not falling down).  

Also the white finish made the rostra appear brighter than the actors faces. The cramped space also blurred the distinction between “locations”, especially as the Zombie (supposedly “outside“) moved across and around the stage and between the things that were “inside”.   

Technically there were quite a number of inexplicable lighting changes, sometimes leaving the speaker in the dark. I will assume these were first night nerves. 

Without an interval the show seemed much longer that the advertised 100 minutes. With a good edit (and a flatter floor) this running time could be cut down considerably. 

Congratulations must go to Baggage Productions for presenting Anno Zombie and their continuing efforts to produce new Australian theatre.

Shirley Jensen

Images: Michael Foxington Photography