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FB REVIEW: MONSTROUS REGIMENT
Fri, Sep 24, 2010
Monstrous Regiment by Unseen Theatre
WHEN: Fri 17 Sep – Sat 2 Oct
WHERE: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas St
HOW MUCH: FB TIX $14 | ADULT $18 | CONC $15
BOOKINGS: bakehousetheatre.com or at the door
“this is for those that need humour in their cup of theatre…”
Review by Kosta Jaric
Looking at the posters on the wall at the Bakehouse Theatre, you realise that the Unseen Theatre Company has presented a story by Terry Pratchett a ridiculous number of times, and this time Monstrous Regiment receives their playful touch.
Polly Perks (Kahlia Tutty) is desperate to find her brother, missing in action for the Borogravian Army, and the only way to do so is to forge her gender and sign up to the rag-tag leftovers of the battle, the Ins and Outs. Problem is she’s not the only one willing to “bend” the rules to find out exactly where everyone is out on the battlefield.
Led by Sgt. Jackrum (Paul Messenger), the most eclectic group of misfit soldiers – a vampire (Kristofa Cassono), a troll (David Geddes), an ‘Igor’ (Philp Lineton) and much, much worryingly more – band together to end the war, seek the truth and maybe prove a thing or two about sisters doing it for themselves.
The strength of this production is the cast. Director Pamela Munt has picked the right mix of talent to play the various roles, and even when the jokes get seriously corny (and they do) they deliver it in such a genuinely funny way.
Tutty stays as the one character throughout (although given some of the creative costumes I could be completely wrong) and is great and progresses Polly on to a very entertaining lead. The rest of the cast enjoy revolving between roles, with Messenger strong as Jackrum, Lineton strangely endearing as an Igor, and Geddes perfectly cast (and often scene-stealing) as the troll.
Some scenes drag their heels slightly but the dialogue is always entertaining, and it’s refreshing to know that you’re walking into a play that rarely wavers and is consistent in delivery. Bakehouse is one of the more intimate spaces to perform, and Unseen do a great job of unfurling the “world” over a split-level set that is never too cramped for the large cast (the use of a strobe light to simulate battle fitting in perfectly with the scale of this production).
It’s too easy to say that this is one for the Pratchett fans; more so this is for those that need humour in their cup of theatre and the entry level for those wondering who the hell Pratchett is!