Four Flat Whites in Italy

“Let’s have the adventure before the dementia!” wryly quips Adrian before he and his wife set off to Italy for the trip of a lifetime. Four Flat Whites in Italy ticks every box as the perfect play to celebrate the recent opening of overseas travel!

Therry Theatre have a real winner on their hands with their current production; excellent production values, great casting, intelligent direction, functional set and a script that keeps the laughs coming fast and maybe a few tears

Four Flat Whites in Italy is a 2008 comedy written by Roger Hall, who also wrote Glidetime (played in Australia as Flexitime), and is best described as New Zealand's equivalent of David Williamson. In this play he presents a smorgasbord of first world problems endured by tourists to Italy.

Four Flat Whites in Italy is the story of Adrian and Alison, retired librarians who have decided to take a holiday in Italy with a couple they have known for years. Shortly before leaving, one of their friends breaks his ankle, and the couple are unable to join them. Stepping into the breach are Harry, the retired plumber, and his wife Judy, who insist on flying business class. The differences between the two couples' budgets and politics, however, are nothing compared to the differences they encounter in their attitudes to life as they visit Venice, Rome and Tuscany.

We see them caught up in the tourist traps and sightseeing (e.g., St Mark’s Square in Venice, a gondola ride and the Coliseum); witness arguments about how they split the bills; Alison’s dislike of mobile phones; and more, as the couples’ relationships develop on their shared holiday. At the end there is a wonderful mix of sadness, happiness, forgiveness and reconciliation.

This play really hits a nerve with the audience, many of whom would have had similar experiences travelling. We have all been there. You travel with some friends, or family, but as time passes, tempers start to fray, frustrations come out and relationships of all kinds are tested.

Director Kerrin White has drawn the best from his experienced cast and fleshes out every nuance of emotion (and laugh) from the script. His use of a stunning unit set (designed by White and Don Oswald) for various locations coupled with Richard Parkhill’s effective lighting and some clever projections ensures smooth continuity between scenes.

Lindsay Dunn gives an assured performance. He gives a straight-faced delivery of the self-deprecating Adrian and invites us into the lonely world he inhabits inside his broken marriage. His physical comedy trying to convert his long pants to shorts is hysterical.

Sue Wylie is compulsive viewing as the multi-faceted Alison; outwardly bossy (no wonder Harry jokingly calls her ‘mummy’) but inwardly grieving for her lost daughter. Her transition to forgiving Adrian is delicately handled and makes the last scene memorable and emotionally satisfying for the audience.

Frank Cwiertniak’s Harry, the financially comfortable plumber, takes laconic to the extreme. His one-liners are delivered deadpan to the delight of the audience. Like the other characters, he too undergoes a change of mindset when faced with the reality of having to travel at close quarters with his bridge friends.

Anita Zamberlan Canala’s Judy, his second wife, a lapsed Catholic, or is she, is both a divorcee and has had an abortion – both of which could cause crisis in their relationship. She is the peace-maker of the four but with her own wounds to heal.

Rose Harvey and Sam Wiseman play all the other characters (waiters, motel receptionists, security guards, car hire people etc). Highlights would have to be the Centurion at the Coliseum, a gondolier, and the Count and Contessa who own the villa the four stay in for their final week.

Four Flat Whites in Italy is a well-crafted play featuring six actors in a contemporary social comedy that audiences of all ages will enjoy. It is recommended viewing for anyone travelling overseas with friends!

Barry Hill OAM

Photographer: Don Oswald