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Pricks Director: Matt Byrne Maxim's Wine Bar Until Sun 19 March The indefatigable producer, director and writer Matt Byrne is at it again with another jab at a kind of life. After earlier shows examining the bar trade and footy fans, and then a 'Flying High' variant, he now puts the creaking hospital system and its overworked nurses and doctors under the stethoscope. Sometimes no better than a mediocre university review but often clever, poignant and punny, eg: "to ER is human," Matt Byrne, Maggie Moore, Jessica Lynch and Kim Clark gave generous and joyful performances in their copious roles in a plethora of skits. Byrne excels as an easily aroused old man and in his soliloquy as the hospital's CEO, while Clark's monologue was like an interview with a real frontline intern. Lynch was absolutely vivacious and Moore does matron like nobody else could. Often the worst material was shouted and the funniest moments were delivered in quiet banter mixed with absurdity. Byrne's sourced his material from stereotypes, both the urban myth and televised variety, and from shallow depths like newspaper headlines - some six months old as the retiring sick health minister. The current health minister and premier don't get a look-in. Inter-scene music was limited to a hit parade of the '70s and '80s which dated the work and made it seem like a revival. Two and a half hours was much too long for this operation. While the first act needed liposuction, the second act was worth the patience.  |
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