Adelaide Fringe. The Capri Theatre. 18 Feb 2014
Back in 1942 the great Jack Davey was warning Ada and Elsie that females just don't have what it takes to be comedians. They would never make it. Those spirited women proved him wrong and went on to 16 years of radio and stand-up comedy.
The two Aussie comics now are embodied by Maureen Sherlock and Carole Yelland with direction by Rob George. And they are funny. They are quippish, clever and idiomatic.
These stars of the golden days of radio also were risque - to a degree that may raise the odd eyebrow today. No bad language, but endless play on language.
Ironic that when they were banned from the air, it was not for innuendo but for lese-majeste.
Sherlock's scripting is deft; her skills well-seasoned by ‘Alzheimer's the Musical’ among other things. She has a lovely sense of Aussie nostalgia and the show is well researched and well-rounded. Of course, it comes with some precious material - well worth reviving. It's quite the cultural treasure trove.
The Capri is not the ideal venue, however. The immense real estate of the stage area means the characters have to hoof to and fro, slowing the action somewhat. One side of the stage is set with a home office and a costume-change clothes stand for the women. At the other extreme, there is a radio sound effects set-up and a grand piano, both of which are manned by Malcolm Hansford who also plays the role of Jack Davey. Talk about multi-tasking. He also plays accordion and, absolutely wonderfully, the spoons.
Jack Davey was the god of radio through the 40s and 50s while Ada and Elsie were, as Sherlock has pointed out, the Kath and Kim of their era. Ada was one Dorothy Foster, the writer of the humour while Rita Pauncefort was the actress who played Elsie. Now it's Yelland as Ada and Sherlock as Elsie. They're both generous performers and they partner well, capturing a spirit of the times as well as the women they portray.
The tight little comedy routines are interspersed with narrative tracing the life and times of the duo and providing context. There are quaint old outfits, slick radio ads and a dash of audience participation with “applause" and "rhubarb" signs. The audience could not be more willing to come out and play.
It may be a show celebrating old content but it is very new, premiering in the Fringe. One gets a strong feeling that when it settles into its run, it will have real legs and, like its subjects, will be going forth onto many stages for a long, successful run.
Samela Harris
When: 17 to 22 Feb
Where: Capri Theatre
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
