Refreshing political satire
Lynn Freeman
The Engine Room, Directed by Hannah Smith, Bats Theatre. Reviewed by Lynn Freeman
WATCHING parliament can be like being on the sidelines of an ill-natured, poorly refereed children’s rugby match. Certainly at the moment there’s a brutal political scrum going on over the government’s draft Video Surveillance Bill. The rugby analogies don’t stop with scrummaging; there’s pass the ball, hide the ball, hard tackles, missed tackles, illegal tackles, even own goals (or is that soccer?). Above all perhaps, is the behind-the-scenes strategising that goes in to getting into, and holding onto, political power.Ralph McCubbin Howell takes us into the engine room of parliament as John Key takes over as National Party leader then leads his party to victory in the 2008 election. We also time travel to 1981 when the young Key and Helen Clark take very different stands on the Springbok tour. The playwright says in the programme he toe the line between character and caricature in his portrayals of Key, Clark and other politicians and hangers on of the time. There are moments of genuine pathos, notably the scene where the parents of both future Prime Ministers berate them for their respective positions on the tour.
The cast of four get a work out equivalent to a rugby test. Hannah Smith cracks the whip, resulting in rapid fire costume, character and set changes.
Harriette Cowan’s portrayal of Helen Clark is uncannily well done, she gets the voice down pat and cracks up the audience every time. Alex Greig is charmingly naïve as John Key, as he flounders trying to explain to the media his stance on the tour. Erin Banks’ impersonation of Gerry Brownlee is nothing short of hilarious and Paul Harrop is especially good in the role of Key’s press secretary. They all handled all their many other roles with equal aplomb.
It’s refreshing to see political satire on stage, especially such high calibre work. It is more fiction than fact but the comparisons it draws between rugby and politics are true enough.
WATCHING parliament can be like being on the sidelines of an ill-natured, poorly refereed children’s rugby match. Certainly at the moment there’s a brutal political scrum going on over the government’s draft Video Surveillance Bill. The rugby analogies don’t stop with scrummaging; there’s pass the ball, hide the ball, hard tackles, missed tackles, illegal tackles, even own goals (or is that soccer?). Above all perhaps, is the behind-the-scenes strategising that goes in to getting into, and holding onto, political power.Ralph McCubbin Howell takes us into the engine room of parliament as John Key takes over as National Party leader then leads his party to victory in the 2008 election. We also time travel to 1981 when the young Key and Helen Clark take very different stands on the Springbok tour. The playwright says in the programme he toe the line between character and caricature in his portrayals of Key, Clark and other politicians and hangers on of the time. There are moments of genuine pathos, notably the scene where the parents of both future Prime Ministers berate them for their respective positions on the tour.
The cast of four get a work out equivalent to a rugby test. Hannah Smith cracks the whip, resulting in rapid fire costume, character and set changes.
Harriette Cowan’s portrayal of Helen Clark is uncannily well done, she gets the voice down pat and cracks up the audience every time. Alex Greig is charmingly naïve as John Key, as he flounders trying to explain to the media his stance on the tour. Erin Banks’ impersonation of Gerry Brownlee is nothing short of hilarious and Paul Harrop is especially good in the role of Key’s press secretary. They all handled all their many other roles with equal aplomb.
It’s refreshing to see political satire on stage, especially such high calibre work. It is more fiction than fact but the comparisons it draws between rugby and politics are true enough.
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