David Gauci & Davine Productions. Theatre One at the Parks. 20 Feb 2019
Well, well, well. A modern musical with proper old-fashioned catchy tunes. How utterly refreshing.
The American team of Kooman & Dimond created this chirpy comedic confection to both satirise and celebrate the fine era of reality TV in which we live. Judge Judy in her iron-fisted court has become a television institution, now the highest paid host in TV history. She’s worth $147 million. Her success is based on the way she takes down the trailer trash-types of the US.
In this zany musical having its Australian premiere at The Parks, Judy's counterpart, Judge Jackie, finds herself in trouble with the studio executives who want to up her ratings by adding a love element to her case load. Or maybe celebrity couples.
They send in a brash and overpowering executive who could be straight out of The Producers. Meanwhile her loyal bailiff tries to keep the show on the road while Jackie juggles not only threats to her stardom and her usual succession of stereotypically hapless American lowlifes, but also the ghosts of her past marriages. Add to this plotline a string of catchy songs, a bit of dancing, and some audience participation, and there it is; a very modern and very unpretentious musical comedy about and for the proletariat.
David Gauci’s Davine Productions, which used to be Davine Intervention Productions, has prided itself on a bit of class in its productions and it pulls out all the stops here. It has top performers performing shamelessly to a very high standard.
Katie Packer displays a sensational array of growling grimaces and scowls, sneers, glowers, and frowns as grumpy old Judge Jackie. She also displays accomplishment as a soprano and is a good mover; just like Judge Judy, not. Her wonderful foil is Bailiff Henry who also is the compere of the show. He is played by the distinguished Adam Goodburn, so his characterisation is thoroughly rounded, his connection with the audience excellent, and his singing absolutely gorgeous. Oh, and he’s pretty light on his feet, too. As is Paul Rodda, former competitive dancer and now a stalwart of the musical theatre. He can be depended upon for a good American accent and he was clearly having a lot of fun being the brassy, vulgar TV executive. His Reality TV song was among the high spots of the show.
But the show needs a cast of other characters to keep the court room busy. They are embodied by all-singing and all-dancing Casmira Hambledon and Joshua Angeles paired up as plantiffs and defendants, some goofy, some ghastly, some obtuse, stupid, and even totally crackpot. They bring the house down repeatedly, these two versatile and fearless players, the high comedy of the production. Their doomsday-prepper couple really takes the cake as a slice of unique Americana.
Martin Cheney and his fine three-man band are onstage, the bare bones of the back of the piano somewhat detracting from Gauci’s slick court room set. Louise Watkins’s costumes are a hoot, the lighting’s good but, on opening night, the sound system is deafeningly over-amped and detracts from a lot of the singing, putting some audience members into defensive mode.
Then again, with the constant threat of audience participation, everyone is always on edge. It seems a particularly superfluous element of this show but it is written into the script and there are always one or two audience members who seem to respond to the threat of humiliation. Indeed, on opening night, the added chorus dancer quite upstaged the cast; not the usual outcome and very funny.
It’s a bit of a hoof to The Parks but the theatre is beautiful and the show is schmick enough to make the trip eminently rewarding.
Samela Harris
4 stars
When: 20 Feb to Mar 2
Where: The Parks Theatre
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
EDITORS NOTE: Paul Rodda is the Editor and Creative Director of the Barefoot Review.
