Love is on the Air

‘Love is on the Air’ is a brand new set of six short adult comedies by W.A. playwright, Johnny Grim, who was awarded Best New Writer at the ITA Dramafest in 2010. This is a combined production from ‘A Lad in Sane’ and The Phoenix Theatre Company. The plays are now showing at the Phoenix Theatre, in the Memorial Hall, on the Corner of Rockingham Road and Carrington Street, Hamilton Hill. The performances run nightly at 8.00 pm until 9^th July, with matinees on Sunday the 3^rd and 10^th at the slightly later time of 3.00 pm.

 

We are welcomed to Channel 13 West by the gorgeous warm-up girl, Goldie Lux (Theo Rea); I say ‘girl’ but the second half of his operation hasn’t been carried out yet.

 

‘I’m too sexy’              Goldie has designs on the top presenter’s job which is held at present by ‘that slut’ the genuinely desirable, Cindy Taylor-Smith (Amy Harrison). When the inevitable catfight starts, it takes the TV floor manager (Johnny Grim) to separate them and allow Cindy to continue.

A very funny sketch, with Theo being the perfect transsexual. He had all of the movements and bitchiness to perfection. Amy’s bubbling performance was strong throughout all of the plays, and she made the ideal TV presenter.

 

‘Giddy up horsey!’      Cindy’s first interview is with Spanish sex therapist, Fernando (John Forde) who explains the common problem of premature ejaculation.

Some funny lines, but may have worked slightly better without the caricature approach.

 

‘Stamps, Scrabble and goldfish’        The studio then cuts to Nigel’s (Ray Rummer) house, where his friends Ron (Willy Smeets) and Bob (Jim Barton) are trying to get Nigel, newly separated from his wife, a long overdue date with a woman – any woman!

Another funny, well-written sketch, with which many of us could see someone we know as the central character. Good delivery mixed with a little first night nerves.

 

‘Sweet cheeks’           A few more chortles as Goldie Lux tackles Cindy, yet again, and tries to steal her job.

This couple was the highlight of the short plays. Well rehearsed, completely conquering the characterisation. Very funny.

 

‘Das is good, ya?’                  Another interview by Cindy, of an Ocker fella, Gary Burrows (John Bevan) who had lost his wife’s affections to a German. Gary tries Lederhosen amongst other things to get her back.

An energetic, solid performance from John, but sadly this sketch just didn’t work for me.

 

‘Profound Moments’               we join four friends sitting in the snug of an Irish pub. Yvonne (Trish Farrell) and her sister Sandra (K. Elizabeth Sekararum) have joined their regular drinking friend, Dawn (Dawn Masilamony) and her new friend, Anne (Kathleen Alloway). They learn that Anne is a little prudish, as she won’t sleep with a new partner until at least her third date. The girls are amazed at her self-control – or is it her inability to know a good offer when it hits her in the face?

I know a hundred girls like this bunch. You sit, smile and shake your head as they relate their hilarious love lives to each other.

 

John’s dialogue flows well and is very true to life. It is coarse at times and has the odd four lettered word here and there, but in these plays they blend into the context. There were plenty of laughs on this fun night out. We had to battle through lightening and storms to get there, and yet there was good sized audience who were happy to join in with the madcap themes.

Goldie Lux’s makeup by Sinead Bevan’s ‘May Cup’ was wonderful, I am sure some of the audience will have taken a couple of minutes to work out that it was man playing the part.
The lighting design was very good, but there were sound howl-arounds and numerous flickering lights. It is a shame as I am sure that the operators were as frustrated as the audience. This lighting board really has to be repaired or replaced, as it cheapens what would otherwise have been a most professional show.

Johnny has a fairly unique and zany sense of humour, and here he was at his very best. Great fun.