The Opposite Sex

THERE is a great deal to be said for living in regional Australia, where we have been relatively untouched by this pandemic, and as we slowly come out of this hole called 2020, community theatre companies are rather like tortoises cautiously poking their heads out to gather the lay of the land.

They are responding to the fact that people have woken up to the fact that they have been starved of live entertainment and consequently this may probably well lead to larger audiences as we – who had been spoilt with so much choice – realise what we have been missing.

When considering a play for production, determining what genre it is will largely dictate the style in which it ought to be played. Is it a comedy? Or is it a farce? The playwright does not give any particular clues as to the genre – but it is clear that it has such a farcical element that it should be played as farce which determines a pace of high speed as the characters try to desperately avoid the embarrassing situation that confronts them at all costs.

Townsville Little Theatre’s first foray this year is this four-hander about marital infidelity - best described as a comedy with intensely farcical elements. The situation set-up speaks for itself:  two couples realise at a dinner party that each has had an affair with the other person’s opposite.

This somewhat short two-act play - played against the best set TLT has produced in some time - benefits because the comic situation largely plays itself. The play is peppered with plenty of funny dialogue of which the cast took advantage - clearly appreciated by the audience. But is that enough to project what is perfectly good comedy into an excellent one?

Whether it was because the second night of the run when I saw it, but this particular performance lacked a certain edge. Vitally, when we see characters in such detail over a period of time they need to come on to stage fully rounded and not fall into the trap of “warming up” as they go along, which befell the cast somewhat on this night.  This energy becomes infectious not only to the audience but also to the players, who bounce off that vitality to push the comedy to even greater heights.

The one shining exception was Jodie Bell as Judith. Her delightful character (an Avon lady who is a bit dim) was complete from the moment she walked on. We knew exactly who she was and she played the comedy with precision, illustrated with plenty of “stage business”. This is was in no small way due to her prodigious stage experience, which shone through and essentially carried the production.

Janelle Croft’s character, Vicky, a part-time marriage guidance counsellor who has had an affair with Judith’s husband, warmed to her character as the evening progressed.  A bold and energetic entrance at the beginning would have set the tone for the whole evening.

Rick Dart’s advertising executive Mark also warmed into his role, particularly with many wisecracks made at his wife’s expense, while I would have liked to have seen Andi Hodgson as Eric (a left-wing teacher) with an aggressively visible chip on his shoulder to have given his character more drive.

As it stands it has considerable enjoyment factor, but greater energy, characterisation and precision would have gone a long way to projecting the production to greater heights. Audiences will appreciate the laughs.

Trevor Keeling

Photographs: Martin Hodgson