Company

The 1970 musical comedy Company returns to South Australia for the first time in 16 years courtesy of The Hills Musical Society, and the amount of hearty laughter and applause on opening night proved the show’s satirical take on both dating etiquette and various middle class social rituals are as relevant, and hilarious, as ever.

Constructed as a series of short comedic vignettes, Company revolves around Bobby (Josh Barkley), a handsome and well-liked yuppie who struggles to commit to a steady relationship, flitting between a series of short but passionate flings – which include an airheaded but tender-hearted stewardess (Kerry Straight), a flaky bohemian hipster (Stefanie Rossi) and an old flame that he still carries a torch for (Nicole Hall).

Bobby’s anxiety over settling down isn’t exactly helped much by the peer pressure of his five best friends, who are all coupled up and neurotically conflicted over whether or not this is a good thing (James McCluskey-Garcia & Jenny Scarce-Tolley, Jamie Richards & Kate Anoulak, Jonathan Knoblauch & Jess Rossiter, Matt Redmond & Danni Zappia, Anthony Vawser & Lauren Renee play the oddly matched spouses). But as his 35^th birthday approaches, Bobby feels compelled to re-evaluate his somewhat aimless life thus far and decide what direction he should take to ensure his own future happiness.

Those who like their shows with a straightforward beginning, middle and end may grow impatient with Company, which is basically a collection of sitcom style skits and musical numbers, presented in no particular order. But despite the sometimes laconically rambling  structure of the plot, the pacing of this show never drags. Both Sondheim’s lyrics and Furth’s dialogue possess a biting wit that is compelling, and all these years on, their commentary on the absurd idiosyncrasies of various social situations - from getting married, to getting stoned, hosting a surprise birthday party or catching up with an ex – remain strikingly authentic and relatable. A common criticism of Sondheim is that his songs aren’t “hummable” and lack a strong hook. This does not apply to Company, which boasts some of the man’s most immediately catchy and enduringly earwormy melodies, including the modern standards “Being Alive”, “You Could Drive A Person Crazy”, “Side By Side”, “The Ladies Who Lunch” and “Another Hundred People”.

Some first night jitters and technical glitches were in evidence, there were a handful of moments where the cast’s singing came across as quieter than the background music, either because the microphones weren’t mixed right or the performers were hesitant in their projection.  But these are minor nitpicks and hopefully the cast will have got on top of them further into the show’s run, because the ensemble is generally solid. Barkley makes for an amiable lead, and plays the character of Bobby in a softer manner than is typical; one gets the impression that he really cares about ALL of these people, in his bungling way, and that his long term bachelorhood stems from genuine emotional confusion rather than a desire to project an image of being “a player”. The various couples have just the right mix of sweet and sour in their chemistry, both with Barkley and each other. The actresses playing Bobby’s three girlfriends all bring a depth of emotional commitment to their performances that serves to humanise characters which could easily have been played as broad caricatures. Despite the odd hiccups mentioned above, the technical quality of the singing and dancing is impressively high.

The sets are minimal and rather abstract, but suitably functional for a show like this, which is focused more upon character than setting. Similarly, costumes are contemporary, but quite plain and not ostentatiously modernised. Overall, this amateur production is crafted with professional care, is sure to delight fans of the material and would serve as a worthy introduction for newbies as well.

Benjamin Orchard  

DISCLOSURE: Anthony Vawser is a reviewer for Stage Whispers Magazine.

Photographer: Mark Anolak