The Grenade

The Grenade
By Tony McNamara. Sydney Theatre Company / MTC Production. Director: Peter Evans. Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House. Nov 4 – Dec 12.

Lots of very unlikely things seem to happen to Busby McTavish.

The character  played by Garry McDonald finds a grenade in his living room, without any explanation as to how it got there, then even though there are children in the house decides to keep it in his lounge room.

His wife Sally, a former nun, is co-writing a trashy novel with a retired special commando – called Randy Savage – who has 12 positions of the karma sutra tattooed onto his muscled torso.

With temptation and danger aplenty Busby McTavish decides to wire his entire house to eavesdrop on his wife from the basement.

It is fertile ground for explosive comedy (pardon the pun)  and Tony McNamara does not disappoint.

“If she was prepared to dump God – what chance do I have,” laments McTavish.

In the first act, even though I was entertained, it was hard to like any of the characters or relate to the drama as being feasible.

Belinda Bromilow, as Sally McTavish, came closest to being likable, and was the most attractive performer on the stage.

When things get really hot during a writing session, she engages in a solo act which would have been frowned upon in the nunnery.

Bert Labonte, as Randy Savage, oozed cool; Eloise Mignon, as Lola McTavish.  the precocious teenage daughter and her frustrated boyfriend, Gig Clarke, as Wheat, were crisp support  actors.

Garry McDonald came across as Garry McDonald to me.

In the second act when some of the absurdities were put aside, it became  a more engaging  and warm comedy as it explored the issues we can all relate to – of trust and fidelity.

At times the action was interrupted by the revolving stage, switching between scenes, which sometimes spun a little too much, and made me feel a little giddy.

Thankfully the comedy did not spin out of control when the pin is finally pulled.

David Spicer

Photo: Garry McDonald and Gig Clarke in Melbourne Theatre Company’s The Grenade. Photographer: Tracey Schramm

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