Kat Stewart, Nicholas Bell, Sheridan Harbridge, Brent Hill, Jane Harber and Erik Thomson. Image by Jeff Busby.
Perhaps the most widely anticipated play for MTC, The Speechmaker is a political satire set aboard Air Force One. Written by the team behind The Castle and Frontline (Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch) and featuring a stellar ensemble cast, the production evidently sets itself for great heights. Along with its pristine set design, The Speechmaker‘s glossy exterior, however, is a mere distraction from its utter dullness; The Speechmaker is simply a comedy show that lacks bite.
The Speechmaker begins with the American President (Erik Thomson) and his staff on an adrenaline rush after a highly successful speech and heading towards London for a surprise Christmas visit. While aboard the plane, the politicians receive news of an assassination plot against a major European democratic leader. The plot thickens midway through the show with the introduction of three new characters who bring a revelation behind this imminent danger. The premise is certainly interesting, but even with the additional narrative elements, The Speechmaker plainly stagnates. Even with the supposed time crunch of the plane arriving in London, the production struggles to implement a sense of tension to propel the show forward.
The revolving stage, for instance, does not help in resolving the show’s stagnant nature. The Speechmaker is mostly set on a plane, and the stage revolves to display the different rooms onboard, such as a conference table and the President’s office. However, it quickly becomes excessively and unnecessarily overdone. There is no excuse to use a 360 spin just to have the presidential staff walk alongside each other, discussing strategies, only to return to the same room it began with. Perhaps it is attempting to mimic Sorkin-like cinematography, as seen in The West Wing and The Newsroom, that trails a bristly walking character from room to room. Regardless, a theatrical production works entirely differently and translating this for the stage is undeniably difficult. There is undoubtedly a great effort in the exquisite craftsmanship on stage — the plush plane seats, the seamlessly mobile plane windows — but the unrestrained use of the revolving stage floor makes the production rather ‘flat’, severely limiting the show as a result.
Fortunately, the cast’s solid acting abilities, in particular the outstanding actresses, almost makes up for the show’s shortcomings. Thomson gives a convincing performance as a bumbling President who struggles with his own morality, all while having quite an appetite for ice cream. Nicholas Bell plays a well-meaning Chief of Staff, but truly shines in his secondary role as the British Prime Minister, showing impeccable comic timing with his display of British apologetics. The Simpsons‘s Harry Shearer makes a cameo as the Secretary of Homeland Security who appears via video link, but his short stint is far from memorable. Kat Stewart and Jane Harber play political advisors Mitch and Sam respectively, and put on formidable performances. Harber, in particular, is excellent in her uptight mannerisms and straight-laced talk. However, the show’s cast of ten could most definitely be cut down. Donning dark-tinted sunglasses and coiffed hair, Professor Calvin Schueller (Lachy Hulme) is more akin to a second-rated version of Dr. Strangelove, rather than a menacing threat. The Defence Secretary (David James) and US Marines Colonel Krebbs (Christopher Kirby) are purely there to bring some information that is relevant to the plot, rather than anything substantial. Bland and uninspiring, there is little variation in the political outlook and discussion of morality in The Speechmaker.
Ultimately, the chief problem is that The Speechmaker has no clue what a satire actually is. There is no acid-tongued commentary like in The Thick of It, or even any biting mockery of politicians as seen in the recent Abbott takedown from Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Director Sam Strong attempts to convey a political message of sorts, but the show takes no advantage to daringly subvert or incisively critique the status quo. It is ridden with stereotyped clichés and stale jokes, more tired than entertaining. Worst of all, The Speechmaker feels weirdly outdated. In 2014, the buzzwords from the American political climate have changed significantly. The ‘War on Terrorism’ has been overshadowed by ‘gun culture’, for example. It seems strange that MTC have decided that now is the right time for this particular production. With its failed combination in poor execution and stale writing, The Speechmaker is an unimaginative show that wallows in its own tediousness, never fully taking flight.
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
The Speechmaker
Melbourne Theatre Company
Working Dog Production
Written by Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner and Rob Sitch
Director: Sam Strong
Set and Costume Designer: Dale Ferguson
Lighting Designer: Paul Jackson
Composer and Sound Designer: Russell Goldsmith
Dramaturg: Chris Mead
Cast: Nicholas Bell, Jane Harber, Sheridan Harbridge, Brent Hill, Lachy Hulme, David James, Christopher Kirby, Kat Stewart, Erik Thomson, Toby Truslove,
Playhouse, Arts Centre Melbourne
www.mtc.com.au
31 May – 5 July
