Adelaide Fringe. Austral Hotel - Red Room. 3 March 2013
This is a fabulous ringside seat into the creation, production and destruction of a West End musical in 2007. In his monologue, American Peter Marino enthusiastically recounts how his love child, a musical version of the 1985 movie, Desperately Seeking Susan, went poof. Although never having written a musical or much else, Marino thought that because the book attracted £3.5 million in funding and a brace of songs from Blondie and Deborah Harry, he would sit in the driver’s seat in London.
Instead, he found out the steering wheel’s on the other side of the auto in England, and he was in the passenger seat. Marino humorously catalogues the culture shock when British reserve slaps up against American brass. He makes much of British expressions that confounded his American ear but seem perfectly understandable to us.
Marino’s disappointment, frustration and anxiety as his creation is nipped and tucked, and simply butchered, by the production team are palpable. He possibly relives them every performance. Each twist of the tale and every setback are deliciously revealed with gay abandon, and a vividness that would make you think it all happened only yesterday. Being a preview and perhaps just off the plane, Marino hit the energy eject button hard and was often over exuberant, so the few moments when he actually paused, reflected, and slowed down were welcome and even sweet.
I loved this show. My gob was literally agape when Marino re-enacted some the exchanges he had with the director, choreographer and Deborah Harry – you can hardly believe the nonsense that went on. It seemed a privilege to have this insight from the lead actor in a major real life West End drama. Desperately seek a ticket.
David Grybowski
When: 3 to 7 March
Where: Austral Hotel - Red Room
Bookings: adelaidefringe.com.au
