Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner | Lazy Susan’s Comedy Den – Brisbane Hotel
Until Sat Feb 11 | ★ ★ ★ ★
Performed on the intimate bijou stage at the Lazy Susan’s Comedy Den upstairs at the Brisbane Hotel. A three-person and possibly the Holy Spirit musical comedy accompanied with a keyboard. Lucy Ross as Gloria, Ashey Rouseety as Mo (Mohammad), Benjamin Amon Colley as Mark and Tim How on the keyboard.
This production has everything you might wish from a small-scale production on the snug Lazy Susan stage. The work has all the hallmarks of a potential larger stage production with possibly numerous song and dance numbers in the same vein as The Book of Mormon. The Broadway Musical from the Creators of South Park; Matt Stone and Trey Parker.
The theatre work title is a reference to the 1967 film of the same name which starred Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn. Similar themes of race and culture are explored through the show with current themes of sexuality, regionalism, religion, alcoholism, Australiana, refugees, the cult of celebrity, Pauline Hanson and multifaith thrown into the mix.
The performance is skillfully written, with some very laughable lines, exploring acceptance, love, religious tolerance, intolerance, suburbia, endemic racism, exclusionism, alcoholism used as the social lubricant and as a way to survive the confusion and progressive change in societal norms. When people do not approve or allow themselves to adapt to a constantly changing enlarged world. When humans are fearful of progressive positive change embracing diversity.
This production is sometimes as sexy as the ’70s Godspell musical and a taste of a possible larger stage work.
The audience is treated to an astonishing screaming rendition of Amazing Grace; the Christian hymn. There is a discrete shrine to Mary, lashings of Rosé and a musical finale which will use the CU*T word to explore how to not be bad human. With the moral of the story being a one line joke referencing the current Australian political climate and our preoccupation with the xenophobia of Hanson’s One Nation Party.
Highly recommended for lovers and followers of both comedy and the musical theatre genre.
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner is only on for two more shows from Thursday 9th to Friday 10th February at 6:30 pm, located upstairs at Lazy Susan’s Comedy Den in the Brisbane Hotel. For tickets or more information, head to fringeworld.com.au
Guy Gomeze
