Hello Players! Vol 2. told the story of R.A.N.D.Y (Randy Adeva) and B-Dubz (Brendan Wan) – a popular hip-hop duo before they broke up under mysterious circumstances. Several years later, B-Dubz is a successful music producer while R.A.N.D.Y is stuck in a rut. To solve this, they decide to get together and record a comeback album before a live studio audience. However, things don’t go smoothly as the two old friends struggle to find the inspiration needed.
Hello Players! Vol 2. transitioned between musical numbers to stand-up comedy, as well as interactions between R.A.N.D.Y and B-Dubz. The music varied from original comic songs, starting with an hilarious Western-inspired opener, to the awkward attempts to rediscover the hip-hop magic of R.A.N.D.Y’s early career. There were also parodies of well-known songs and the idea of concept albums. At its best the music was catchy and witty. Not every song worked, but when they did, they were highly entertaining.
Adeva and Wan were engaging to watch and they created a fun atmosphere within the room. They worked well as a duo with the banter between them being relatable as well as funny. Wan often exited to take work calls and this left Adeva holding the stage and having to awkwardly entertain the audience on his own. To do so, he drew upon his favourite subjects, which ranged from a bizarre fish obsession to his personal hero, the basketball player LeBron James. However, these segments were repeated too many times, eventually losing their impact.
There was an undercurrent that spoke to Adeva’s struggles to express himself in his music. The relationship between the two friends also had an underlying tension. There was potential to make this into something meaningful by the end of the show, but it didn’t get to that point – which seemed like a missed opportunity. The finale music number attempted unsuccessfully to blend both the serious and the comical.
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Hello Players! Vol 2. was a lot of fun. The mix of clever songs, cringeworthy stand-up and the duo playing off each other resulted in plenty of laughter from the audience. But there was a bit of an imbalance with Adeva holding the stage solo too much and the finale not bringing everything together as intended. For fans of musical comedy, however, this was a good night out.
Hello Players! Vol 2.
Trades Hall
Created and Performed by: Randy Adeva and Brendan Wan
Director: Tiana Hogben
Lighting Design: Caitlyn Staples
Tickets: $10-$25
Hello Players! Vol 2. was performed 16-20 October 2024 as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
