Up For Grabs

Up For Grabs
By David Williamson. Hobart Repertory Theatre Society. Directed by Nick Lahey. Playhouse Theatre, Hobart. 28 October – 12 November 2016

Ouch! The David Williamson play Up For Grabs by Hobart Repertory Theatre Society is an observation of people who are greedy, affected, pretentious and acquisitive, and we saw some on stage in Hobart. Set around the contemporary art world of the 1990s and written in 2000, Up For Grabs is a fast-paced comedy of (bad) manners, first performed by the Sydney Theatre Company in 2001.

At first glimpse, the characters are stereotypes of the top end of town and the wannabe’s. As an analysis of how wealth and power can corrupt the arts, it also shows foibles and vulnerabilities. The actors handled the slick, slightly arch dialogue well in this fast-paced comedy about money, greed, unhappy couples and expensive art. The art in question was a Brett Whitely, desired by most of the bidders for status, economics and prestige, rather than its beauty.

Up For Grabs is a funny play, with Lillie McNamara (art dealer Simone Allen) using the “fourth wall” ploy effectively. Director Nick Lahey extracted good performances out of the characters – tight timing and pace were a feature, as well as the experienced actors playing for laughs.

Tara Carroll (Mindy) and CJ Bowers (Kel) worked well together as the rich, trendy, new-age posers. Jon Lenthal (Gerry) as the art dealer’s partner added his strength of voice and the conscience to the questionable morality of art dealing. Leigh Faulkner (Manny) handled the role of the rather awful, grubby, would-be purchaser with ease, despite the dark undertones of the character. Sarah Phillips played his wife (Felicity) in a screechy, superbly neurotic portrayal of a person making up for an unhappy marriage by gaining material possessions to make her friends envious. The beautiful deep tones of Astrid Tiefholz (Dawn) rounded out the cast.  

Quick scene changes, a suitable geometric-style art gallery set, and clever lighting added to the pace. The slightly dated dialogue is possibly somewhat unacceptable to current politically correct standards, but the audience loved the chance to laugh at the nasty people portrayed. Does morality win over profit? Go and see!

Merlene Abbott

PREVIEW AND BUY THE SCRIPT HERE.

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