Jingled

Jingled is a Christmas panto for adults. It will appeal to those who appreciate farce, physical comedy and actors enjoying themselves playing ridiculous characters. The rehearsal room antics sit just below the surface.

Stephanie Briarwood has a formidable reputation and is well known in northern Tasmania. Briarwood rewrote this 2023 version of Jingled in association with dramaturg, Peter Matheson, adding extra characters. One must wonder whether the new characters were created with certain actors in mind. The string of episodic comic turns by skilled and recognised performers must have been a joy to rehearse but the plot, itself, offers no surprises. The inciting event of a mislaid infant, and ensuing mayhem, careens towards a predictable outcome and sentimental change of tone.

The set by Matt Stolp is a delight. The shop interior within which the action takes place, is stocked with two dimensional products adhering with Velcro to the shelves. The absurdity of two-dimensional objects was something of a running gag which could still raise a wry smile when the expectation had become a little stale. The design was executed with skill and integrity.

There were many outstanding performances. Bryony Geeves and Jeff Keogh as June and George, respectively, were the straight characters responding to the absurd events of the evening. In these roles there was little opportunity to excel and deliver on their own comedic skill. Geeves was a delight as one of the three drag queens. Jeremy Pyefinch and Scott Burns also showed their versality as the wise, well dressed and exotic visitors to the humble convenience store. Burns was clearly enjoying himself excessively as Drag Queen 1. His version of Santa Baby as prologue to the show was much appreciated by the audience but set up unrealised expectations of what was to follow. Burns was also engaging as King, the taxi driver. A professional entertainer, Burns, was clearly having a great time on stage.

Bethany Denholm and Ivano Del Pio pulled off some excellent physical comedy as the two robbers. Del Pio delivered a skilful Italian caricature in Raul, evocative of Sonny from Grease or Squiggy from Laverne and Shirley , but in middle age. It was an excellent comic turn which got some laughs but, like several other episodes, it did nothing to advance plot or character. Raul was one of several outrageous characters who seemed to exist to purely reinforce the discomfort of shopkeeper, George, and deliver a few gags.

Anna and Griffin (Anne Cordiner and Paul Levett) were very funny together but without much other reason for existing in the script. Levett was suitably repulsive as Scary Santa. Briarwood may well have intended to portray the uglier aspects of Christmas – wealthy overconsumption, for example – in these characters.

Nelly, the bag lady, played by Gabe Atkins, was a delight. She affected a slurred accent delivered with impeccable diction. As the ‘down and out” member of society, she would not be welcome at any suburban Christmas dinner table but she would be certain to make an entertaining guest.

Jane Hamilton-Foster won the audience as Officer Jeffries. Her purchase and consumption of 2D chocolate milk was one of her first endearing pieces of physical theatre followed by the ‘poo’ joke of Act 2. Hamilton-Foster is yet another highly capable professional performer to contribute to Jingled. Officer Jeffries was a better role than the lactating stripper in a cow costume, in which Hamilton-Foster appeared later on.

Mel King and Danni Ashton are highly esteemed in the acting community and are to be commended for bringing something new to Hobart audiences.

If the lead up to Christmas is too overwhelming, a couple of hours of farce and slapstick with a touch of sentimentality, might be just the ticket. Jingled runs until the 23^rd of December.

Anne Blythe-Cooper

Photographers: Wayne Wagg and Bob Linacre