No Bed of Roses

‘No Bed of Roses’ is a semi-autobiographical story, written and directed by Irish born, WA playwright Noel O'Neill. Noel is also a talented director and performer, having won an award for best supporting actor. Whilst training in America, he appeared regularly on stage and TV voiceovers. His writing skills are very well respected and he is renowned for his uncanny knack of bringing out the main qualities of his characters. This premiere is showing at KADS, Town Square Theatre, Barber Street, Kalamunda nightly at 8.00 pm.

            It is the East End of London in the early 60s, and the brassy, matriarchal figure, Sadie (Anita Bound) and her husband, retired council blue-collar worker, Sid (Kim Taylor) have been together for 35 years.

           One day, when their daughter, supermarket checkout chick, Nora (Alexandra Nell) comes home from work, she is amazed to find that her Mum has brought home a much younger man, George (Scott Lambert) that she met in the laundrette. George has had a rough life and Sadie thought that they should be willing to share the family home with him, but has the rough as sh*t, cherubic, hot-blooded Sadie got other ideas?

Will George be a benefit or a curse to the household?

This play relies on the actors getting into the slobbish, foulmouthed lifestyle of these true-life characters. A huge amount of praise must go to courageous Anita, who has proved her strength many times as a director, and now takes on a truly difficult acting challenge, as the domineering mother who spends most of her day in a micro-skirt or a body stocking.

Kim Taylor, with great comedy and skill, embodies the typical retired father and his only interest in life - a little rose garden.

WAAPA trained Alexandra Nell has a hell of a life as the daughter of this dysfunctional family. New to WA is Scott Lambert who has wasted no time in showing what a huge talent he has for humour.

Director Noel O’Neill has demanded a great deal from this talented cast and they have all repaid him many times over. The laughs in this very black and tasteless adult comedy were flowing fast and furious.

A special credit to Liza Mollan for her costumes. Sadie’s outfits left the audience simply shaking their heads in disbelief. Some of the ‘details’ to Sid’s outfit brought tears to the eyes.

This is one of the coarsest but most hilarious plays that I have seen in a long time.