Don’s Party

The larrikins have lessened. We have lost those glorious politically incorrect characters who said what they thought and David Williamson’s play (1971) reminds us that they were funny and entertaining.

Liverpool Performing Arts
Casula Power House and Riverside Theatres,Sydney 

Saturday 10 October, 2010 

The larrikins have lessened. We have lost those glorious politically incorrect characters who said what they thought and David Williamson’s play (1971) reminds us that they were funny and entertaining.
 
Can you imagine a lawyer (Adam Power) at a party now going up to a girl and asking for a “screw”? Maybe you move in those circles, but they are ever diminishing and it makes for boring parties, unlike Don’s (Sam Ryan). Five couples and a newly separated man (Paul Channel as Mack) arrive with a ‘pornographic’ symbol of some sort and a lot of emotional and sexual baggage. It is election night in 1969 and a few tense moments occur with opponents of various political ideologies, but like good old fashioned Australians the fate of the nation never gets in the way of a joke, a fight or a seduction.
 
At the time it was written this play hinting at ‘swinger couples’ and using plain (swearing) language was most likely shocking for some audiences. In 2010 it is not shocking but there are resonances which outlive the period. The battle of the sexes continues with both the men and the women in the audience laughing loudly at some of the pointedly sexist comments. The set (Phil Donney), props (Jacqueline Hornjik) and costumes (Bec Mooney) were nicely evocative of the era with attention to kitsch detail. The music (Peter Hornjik) emanating from the record player was also used well.
 
Director Guenter Bieniasch handles the large cast well in a relatively small but accommodating space giving the party ambience with an accent to the jokes.  Like all old Australian parties the men congregate together and the women stay in a collective with the kitchen (and drinks) always a focal point.
 
The ensemble did a creditable job, but the stand out performer was Adam Power as the lawyer Cooley. An ugly ‘ocker, Power makes him a likeable rogue, with good delivery and grounding of the character. Jenny (Rebecca Mooney) also rang true as the depressed and bored wife of Mal (Robert Sheens), a psychologist with penis envy. Don (Sam Ryan) was natural if a little young in the role and Kath (Cathy Laezza) played another depressed and angry wife with confidence. There were however large pauses at times, when dialogue should have overlapped more.
 
Overall it was a creditable production about “the hypocrisy rampant in society”.
  
Until 16  October 2010
 
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