★★★★
Greg Fleet. Holden Street Theatres. 28 Feb 2023
The show wasn’t ready on Media Day prior to the premiere, but it’s ready now. Greg Fleet wrote himself a character disturbingly close to his own character, but they say write about what you know. Greg plays Matt, a comedian and legend and troubled mind who is looking for his comeback project. He hooks up with Amalee (Kru Harale) - a bright and bouncy young up-and-coming comic - for a podcast. But Matt is struggling with his demons.
We are introduced to Amalee during her stand-up. Amalee/Kru is Indian-Australian and Kru makes the most of the racial difference. Prior to the show, Greg asks the audience to respond to the stand-up sequences as if we are watching stand-up, but that was unnecessary. Amalee slays them with her schtick because Kru really is a comic appearing in her first play. The way she expresses irony and attitude and talks with her hands was wonderfully animated and delightfully charming. Bravo!
Greg, presumably also the director, has the actors achieve a natural, easy-going, conversational style, with ums and ahs, and thought bubbles and broken sentences. The characters are oh so real - vulnerable and relatable. You want to jump onto the stage and give them a hand – one is so at ease and empathetic with these people. Brant Eustice well plays Matt’s exasperated agent to further flesh out our protagonist’s past.
At one time, there is a series of short scenes that disturbs the flow, and in the scenes with Amalee and Matt working on the podcast, they are physically too far apart to see both at once, and if you’re eyes are on the speaker, the reaction is unviewed. More filmic quality, please! We don’t want to miss a thing. However, there’s a bit much of a bewildered Amalee struggling with a lugubrious Matt in the middle of the narrative.
It’s not a sad play, but it’s a realistic situation, and it’s sad to watch a slow burn-up, a fall from greatness - you see it unravel in front of you but there is nothing you can do. All the more poignant because of the support Matt got from his pals, and aren’t comics supposed to be funny all the time?
Once again – wonderful performances!
David Grybowski
When: 14 Feb to 12 Mar
Where: Holden Street Theatres – The Arch
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
