The Drowsy Chaperone

I absolutely loved this here's my Sydney Arts Guide review http://www.sydneyartsguide.com.au/drowsy-chaperone/ Sheer theatrical delight , this is a superb production of this rarely seen show. I saw the brilliant London version ( it’s also been on Broadway ) and it has been performed in Melbourne with Geoffrey Rush as Man in Chair , but so far as I am aware Sydney has not had a chance to be enchanted by it previously . Under the scintillating direction of Jay James-Moody , the superb ensemble glows .With its clever staging and terrific cast the production sparkles and delights. With its infectious rhythms , all-singing, all-dancing superb cast wonderful Squabbalogic have done it again !. For musical theatre fans it is witty distillation of history and an analysis of theatre itself. The show is a loving parody of 1920’s musicals purporting to be !a record of a November 1928 musical that comes alive in the’ Man in Chair’s enthusiastic imagination. There are theatrical in jokes and a cry for understanding for those of us who know and love musical theatre (note – before roughly the 1970’s). It is a 1920’s romantic comedy but the Man In Chair has a contemporary diatribe against marriage. It also includes what could be viewed as some rather risque double entendres and some racist and sexist elements which were quite acceptable in the 1920’s. And there is a segment of a precursor to ‘ The King and I ‘. The cast excel at the split second timing and period choreograph . We the audience are an imaginary guest of the ‘Man In Chair’ as played terrifically by Jay James- Moody ( who also directed the show) .The Man is still in his pajamas and slippers and you get the feel that he is very comfortable in those and rarely leaves his apartment . He also has a ‘thing’ about answering his incoming phone calls . His love of and enthusiasm for old musicals is infectious and his wry comments pepper the show. The set is his cluttered living room and kitchen of his New York apartment , with Playbill theatre posters everywhere on the wall , and there are ‘windows’ through which we can see ‘outside’ , hide the excellent band and are used for special effects . One set of kitchen cupboards slides out to become the ‘Bridal Suite’ , ironing boards and brooms are wittily used for the song, ‘I do I do In the sky’ .James –Moody in his persona as Man in Chair directly talks to us- the audience-, to whom he has a strong connection, and controls the audience’s reactions to almost all we see onstage . Our young ingeneue, sparkling sultry starlet Janet Van De Graff , the bride to be , was amazingly played by Hilary Cole in a dizzying display of triple threat theatrical multi talent . ( She was last seen in Squabbalogic’s ‘Carrie’ ) . And boy does she steal the show with her scintillating “ Show Off’ number which brings the house down.She is also exquisite in the rather strange ‘Monkey/Moon’ sequence. The Chaperone of the title was superbly played by Michele Lansdown .Lansdown has a strong presence – the Chaperone is played as world weary yet seductive and her main responsibility as she sees it is to get drunk. She stops the show with ‘As We Stumble Along’ her rousing big Leading Lady ‘anthem’ and has some glorious outfits to wear. As Robert Martin, the tall, dashing, debonair ,somewhat nervous groom, Brett O’Neill is superb as the leading man and seems to have stepped straight out of a 1920’s show. Towards the start of the show , his ‘Cold feets’ is at first a monologue, then a soft shoe duet which becomes a thrilling tap dance-off with friend George that stops the show .And I mustn’t forget the thrilling blindfold roller skating – is Robert ‘An Accident Waiting to Happen’ ? Second lead George , the best man at the wedding , was more than terrifically sung and danced by Ross Chisari , tossing off elegant double tours in ‘Cold Feets’ for starters and he sings well too. Blonde , ditzy chorine Kitty , who is claw full of ambition but unfortunately not too intelligent , is cutely , bubblingly played by Jamie Leigh Johnson .Tom Sharah was terrific as over the top Latin Lover Adolpho , somewhat a cross between Zorro and Rudolf Valentino with fake penciled mo , and swishing cloak. Sharah has great fun milking the role for all its worth .The almost stereotypical , cigar-chomping impresario, Feldzieg was most impressively played by Laurence Coy . The two pastry chefs (gangsters in disguise) were wickedly , delightfully played by Steven Kreamer and Richard Woodhouse. Underling ,the perfect butler (Chris Coleman )and elegant, harried rather vague hostess doddering Mrs Tottendale (Gael Ballantyne) were another tremendous pair. The jaunty, luscious Trix the Aviatrix was stunningly played by Monique Salle , who neatly steals the show in her on stage appearances and she also worked on the choreography for this show . A heartfelt ‘thank you ‘ to musical theatre for making life a little more bearable, THE DROWSY CHAPERONE is now regarded by some as a recent classic and it fits delightfully into the small space of the Hayes Theatre . A supremely clever , entertaining show that greatly appeals with its delicious humour. See it . As Man in Chair says, ‘it takes you to another world…away from the dreary horrors of the real world’ Running time 1 hour 50 (approx) no interval. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE plays the Hayes Theatre, Greenknowe Avenue Potts Pint until Sunday April 6. Running time 1 hour and 50 minutes without interval. For more about The Drowsy Chaperone, visit http://www.hayestheatre.com.au/what-s-on/the-drowsy-chaperone.html