GOD AWFUL COMPANY
19/05/2017 - 27/05/2017
Production Details
ONE ‘HELL’ OF AN EVENING – GODLY NEW KIWI COMEDY DEBUTS
A brand new comedy of almighty proportions, God Awful Company, is hitting the Palmerston North stage. The ancient and all powerful gods are meeting to determine their role with humanity, but there’s one small problem… Kevin. By some cosmic joke, this indecisive, hungover student has been selected to represent all of humanity at the most important choice of the millennium.
Now ‘The Decider’, Kevin is being forced to make the toughest of calls – should the gods be allowed to rule the mortal realm for the next 1,000 years? With a room full of bickering, feuding immortals (family issues and exes included) he and ‘The Arbitrator’ Michelle are in for more than they ever could have bargained for. It’s just their deaths or the Earth’s doom if they get it wrong. No pressure.
This newest play by Massey University Drama Society (MUDS) follows their highly acclaimed writers’ festival Arts Uncontrolled and sold out comedy Misfits. For producer and playwright Shivarn Stewart, most exciting is the humour that comes with high stakes and larger than life characters.
“It’s very tongue-in-cheek,” says Stewart. “The ancient gods are particularly entertaining to play with – like Dionysus who is just a huge party animal, or the sullen Grim Reaper. The ‘humanity’ of the gods is where you have really interesting personalities and drama, as well as a hell of a lot of laughs!”
Award-nominated director Ethan Burmeister is also gleefully anticipating the show’s debut performance. “It’s such an intriguing concept and you can only watch in delighted terror at the idea that these humans hold the universe’s fates in their hands. Which obviously not all the gods are happy about, so there is a whole another level of ‘can we survive this’ going on. It will be a great ride for everyone watching.”
God Awful Company hits the stage Friday 19th May and runs for four shows at Palmerston North’s professional Centrepoint Theatre. Tickets and details available at www.thedarkroomnz.com
Centrepoint Theatre, 280 Church St, Palmerston North
19-20th, 26-27th May
7.30pm
Tickets: Full $15/Concession $10
Bookings: www.thedarkroomnz.com or 06 354 5740
CAST:
Kevin - The Decider: Matt Schaw
Michelle - The Arbitrator: Tessa Mitchell-Anyon
Ares: Sam Wyss
Lucifer: Ellie Hodder
Chris/Yahweh: Mike Pyefinch
Shiva: Cameron Dickons
Goddess: Rixta Sievers
Goddess: Lisa Hall
Goddess: Jessica Ramage
The Morrigan: Rosheen Leslie
Buddha: Orsen Gomez Parra
Mother Earth: Leah Toombs-Ruane
Loki: Jeremy Hunt
Jade Emperor: Justin Ngai
Dionysus: Elena Shapiro-Albert
Spirit Emissary: Te Haana Paewai
Spirit Emissary: Taylor Paterson
Grim Reaper: Sasha Lipinsky
Hotel Manager: Emma Campbell
Oracle: Zak Rodgers
Oracle: Morgan Parker-Corney
Oracle: Shivarn Stewart
Oracle: Charlie Pearson
Oracle: Regulus van Helsing
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Director: Ethan Burmeister
Assistant Director: Jessica McLean
Assistant Director/Sound Engineer: Tobias Lockhart
Writer & Producer: Shivarn Stewart
Assistant Producer: Rosheen Leslie
Stage Manager:Therese Anglandm
Stage Manager: Pierce Barber
Lighting Operator: Ashleigh Matheson
Set and Costume Design: Nic Green
Set Construction: Cameron Dickons
Photography and Posters: Regulus van Helsing
COSTUME TEAM:
Ashleigh Matheson
Sam Wyss
Sasha Lipinsky
Regan de Har
Ethan Burmeister
Rosheen Leslie
Morrison Aldridge
Shivarn Stewart
Danni Stanley
Jess Ramage
Leah Toombs-Ruane
Elena Shapiro-Albert
Sasha Lipinsky
Danelle Walker
Theatre ,
Fridays and Saturdays only
An undeniably entertaining romp
Review by Adam Dodd 20th May 2017
Drawing on a range of influences, God Awful Company is a far-fetched romp which will appeal to fans of Robert Rankin and Douglas Adams. Written by Manawatu local Shivarn Stewartfor the Massey University Drama Society, the show places the potency of divinity and personification alike singularly into the hands of an arguably ill-suited mortal.
It is a fun premise and much is made of it – but the dilemma never really establishes itself as any kind of thesis. Numerous themes are touched upon but few ideas are explored in any more depth than an observation or divinely dismissive wave. That isn’t to suggest that there aren’t some provocative ideas but this isn’t the focus of the play. Characterising and caricaturing the gods themselves is. In this, director Ethan Burmeister continues to demonstrate promise, capturing something of the humanity of the gods, if faltering with their inhumanity.
The interplay of personalities is where this production shows its worth, and where the predominantly young company prove themselves. Despite its being a student production, the large cast all show something of merit, and a lot can be applauded of the performances given.
Several notables distinguish themselves. As the oppressed Ares, Sam Wyss plays a gamut of self-righteous fury through to defensive and hard put-upon embarrassment. Mike Pyefinch’s Chris is entertainingly pointed in his attempts to be current and contemporary.
Ellie Hodder’s amusingly wry Lucy captures a sense of the forlorn along with her opportunism. Rosheen Leslie’s Morrigan in particular is captivating with the threat of her bitterness and wrath, and her despair, while also providing nuanced humour.
With fourteen costumiers contributing to the collected vestments and holy objects, costuming is a motley of garish, grand, subtle and just what is. This does convey much about the characters’ personalities but without a cohesive vision it makes the more interesting inclusions harder to weigh in significance.
The staging shifts between moments of easy humour, explosive tension and awkwardly forced gravitas. It ought to be more unwieldy than it is, as there are often more than ten characters active on stage, but the troupe manages the focus well. Lasting at approximately an hour and fifteen minutes, God Awful Company is an undeniably entertaining romp into the embarrassing interactions of the gods.
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