"Man & Boy" Garrick Theatre

Far be it from me to disagree with the quite correct publicity spiel about “Man & Boy” opening at Garrick Theatre on Friday 29^th June. Yes, it is a bleak, ultimately harrowing tale of love and betrayal, BUT for a corporate suit such as myself, there’s another very interesting and extremely relevant subtext to the play.

Nobody who was around during the late 1980’s and WA Inc,  should miss this one, with its depiction of zero business morality. Terrence Rattigan may have written it in the early 1960s, setting it in New York the early 1930s, but “Maaate!”… is it relevant to modern day business – think Robert Maxwell disappearing off the back of the boat, or the current trial of Conrad Black, or even closer to home - I’ve had business lunches with these boys in another life.

This is the first time “Man & Boy” has been performed in Australia and full credit to Ailsa Travers and Garrick for having the courage to run with it. The play failed when first staged – too dark, too confronting?. But Rattigan vowed that one day it would be seen as his best work. Sure enough, it was brought out of the closet in 2005, with David Suchet playing Gregor Antonescu,  blowing the London critics and public away. The play centres around Antonescu, an entrepreneur financier with a shifting-of-assets, deck-of-cards empire, his estranged son Vassilly and his henchman banker, Sven Johnson, on the night their paper empire collapses.

As to whether Garrick’s production is good, bad, or indifferent, I’m not in a position to say  
a. It -doesn’t start until tomorrow night
b. I’m in it!  
But if you’re coming, spare a thought – well, another glass of wine! - for Wayne Ganton, (Antonescu) not only has he had to learn an enormous number of lines, with an extremely complex characterisation, he’s also designed and built the set.

And grateful thanks to Garrick for their treatment of their actors – great facilities, everything taken care of, plus TWO FOCs – a couple of other community theatres around the traps could learn some lessons here.

The season starts on Friday 29^th June and goes through to Saturday 14^th July, with a couple of Sunday matinees and an extra evening performance on Wednesday 11^th July (evening performances at 8.00pm) Bookings can be made by phone, on 9379 9400 (9.00am – 4.00pm Mon – Sun).

Oh yes, there’s no Curtain Call, so it’s meet and greet at the bar after the make ups off, also parking’s a bit awkward – allow a couple of extra minutes walking time, just in case.
All Good Things

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