Bunbury Productions. Dunstan Playhouse. 1 Feb 2023
With Mono – A Three-Person One-Man Show, the not-so-long-in-years playwright and writer, Angus FitzSimons, has reprised his comical concerns for the gracefully and disgracefully aging clinging to their power that were evident in his 2019 hit, Senior Moments: The Complete Guide on How to Be Senior. And in case you missed Senior Moments…, you can buy the book! The productions also have in common two of Australia’s treasured acting assets: Max Gillies and John Wood. And in Mono, they are accompanied by the irrepressible Emily Taheny of current Mad as Hell fame.
I’ll start with the program because it was the funniest thing in the production. Bravo! Angus FitzSimons’ program reads and resembles a senior’s glossy magazine and, seniors! It was available at no extra charge! It’s crammed with loopy photos, fake reviews, Q&As, riddles, trivia tests, dubious information and useless advice. What a hoot! For example: “Q: What does F.A.Q. stand for? A: F.A.Q.’d if I know.”
As a comic vehicle, the show was more of a zimmer frame than a 280Z. The trio trot out in turn to do their shtick on a bare stage in front of a lectern, one at a time, often with notes. The skit characters vary from schoolmarm to conductor to a cutting vengeful speech from the mother of the bride. All had direct appeal and audience engagement and wonderfully developed characterisations. Emily Taheny seemed the brightest – might have been her costumes and hair changes – but more likely her refreshing emergence from the angry anarchy of absurdity conveyed by the Mad as Hell characters. John Wood fits into his policeman’s role from his long Blue Heelers engagement, reading out a whacky chain of evidence from the witness box, but even he could not save the auctioneer skit from tedium. Max Gillies is clearly the elder statesman and his facial gestures and body language speak volumes and still command the attention that they always have, especially where words aren’t spoken. His pathetic bumbling priest was heaven.
But Mono could also mean mono-tonous. All the skits were of the same pace as if an imaginary handbrake was on, and all themed of seniors lost or out of touch. There was no scene-setting music or visuals. And imagine having three of Australia’s great and proven talents on the same stage and not uttering a single word to each other? But this is an established and time-tested format. Of course, comedy wasn’t the only goal - poignancy and empathy was rife. How about Max’s character at the art gallery mistaking the fire protection gear on the wall for the artwork? That had it all, as did most of the expertly rendered writing.
A night of quiet chuckles and heart-warming reflections on what it’s like to be sagacious yet sidelined.
David Grybowski
When: 1 to 5 Feb
Where: Dunstan Playhouse
Bookings: ticketek.com.au
