Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Tuesday 25th February 2020.
The multi award-winning Red
Phoenix Theatre, the resident theatre company at Holden Street Theatres, has taken the bold move of opening their first production for this year during the Adelaide Fringe. They have chosen a short one-act, two-scene comedy,
The King, a world première of the latest play from Jimmy Lyons, a Texan-born playwright, now resident in Adelaide.
This continues the company's mission of presenting only works never before produced in Adelaide. It is directed by Adrian Barnes, who has assembled an experienced cast and created a fast-paced piece of theatre. He adds his vocals to those of
Pat Wilson, who composed the opening and entr'act songs, although these tended to get a little lost as the audience didn't seem to be aware of what was happening.
Roger is wandering idly through the department store, pauses to glance at a range of barbecues, and is accosted by Hank, a hard-sell salesman who convinces him that he cannot possibly live without the ultimate barbecue, the 'King' grill. It is big. It is bright red. It is sparkly. It is potentially very dangerous to use.
It is said that an Englishman's home is his castle. Roger is going to discover that his castle can only accommodate one 'king', and it is not him. As it turns out, it is not the grill, either. She might be dressed in a skirt, but his wife is the one wearing the royal trousers, although, in the end, the grill has the final word.
The artistic director of the company, most often found working as a director, Michael Eustice, makes one of his all too infrequent appearances onstage. His Hank is an accomplished con artist, a snake oil salesman. He could sell coals to Newcastle, to use an English expression, or a refrigerator to an Inuit, in midwinter. He sells an incredibly expensive barbecue to a man whose wife is a vegetarian. It doesn't take much imagination to guess what she is going to think of that gift.
Eustice is superb as the conniving Hank, a modern-day Mephistopheles, keeping the audience in fits of laughter with his highly politically incorrect machinations. Eustice has the audience laughing right from the start, and keeps them there.
Nigel Tripodi's Roger is a gullible, easily manipulated man whose own weaknesses are turned against him. Tripodi has been away from live theatre for some years, working in other areas, and makes a welcome return in this hilarious portrayal.
Sharon Malujlo presents Roger's wife, Melissa, as a strong woman, in control, and controlling. Malujlo has performed extensively, here in Australia and overseas. Her experience shows in her comic timing and very funny delivery.
This is one more winning production from Red
Phoenix Theatre but the scariest thing about this play is that the first scene was based on a real incident, witnessed by the playwright. How would you stand up against such a salesman? See this comedy and find out.
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