‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ – Squabbalogic in association with Hayes Theatre Company

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE – MUSIC & LYRICS BY LISA LAMBERT & GREG MORRISON
BOOK BY BOB MARTIN & DON MCKELLAR
DIRECTED BY JAY JAMES-MOODY
SQUABBALOGIC IN ASSOCIATION WITH HAYES THEATRE CO – HAYES THEATRE
14 MARCH – 6 APRIL 2014

Lea: We’ve been busting for like, umm…
Sybil: A good five minutes.
Lea: … to talk about the show. And we couldn’t!
Sybil: Okay, so – foyer of Hayes Theatre – we’re here with friends so we have to be discreet.
Lea: Really fast! Okay, the most amazing musical, the funniest musical…
Sybil: Not just the funniest musical – the funniest show that we have seen together. I was crying with laughter. My stomach – hurt – from laughing.
Lea: I was like a little kid, holding my mouth going ‘Oh my god that was so funny!’.
Sybil: It was hilarious. So that was Number One. Number Two – the performances – across the board – were fucking fantastic! The guy in the chair (Jay James-Moody) made me want to laugh and cry. He was genuine and vulnerable…
Lea: Yes.
Sybil: … and his timing was incredible.
Lea: Insane.
Sybil: Now the girl that was in Carrie – Hilary Cole – oh my god – when she first kind of just appeared on stage I thought – ‘Oh thats a bit weird, because that’s Carrie’ [ED: Carrie: The Musical was Squabbalogic’s last show) – but once she did that first song ‘I Don’t Want to Show Off’… that woman is destined for greatness. We are so lucky to be seeing her at this stage in her career. The chemistry between everyone… Aldolpho – *laughs* – Aldolpho – *laughs* – when – *almost-in-tears-laughing* – just – *laughs* – he just made me laugh! What have we seen him in? He’s awesome!
Lea: He from the TV show that searched for the new star of… oh you know… *sings* “I Will Survive”… Priscilla!
Sybil: Oh my god he was too – he was in that! *practically squealing* He was incredible. He just made me laugh.
Lea: It was incredible, because they all played stereotypes, but they played truth in those stereotypes.
Sybil: And they played them so well. And it was such comment on old-style music theatre.
Lea: Yes.
Sybil: Whilst being a new style music theatre.
Lea: And so many in-jokes for people who knew the genre.
Sybil: I am blown away. I wasn’t expecting it, I didn’t know the show. Blown away.
Lea: How have I not heard of this show before? But that’s the thing, when it’s in the hand of the right people at the right time…
Sybil: And that’s the thing – the timing. The set was clever. Clever! And funny – and you don’t expect it to be when you walk in. You think it’s just a kitchen’ and it’s not. It’s fabulous! I am in awe. This company goes from strength to strength.
Lea: Yes that’s the thing.
Sybil: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson was great. We said we want to watch these guys, they’re great. Carrie was awesome. This, this is incredible.
Lea: They’ve just lifted. They are professional.
Sybil: Are they a professional theatre company?
Lea: I don’t know. They must get paid something. [ED: Squabbalogic are a professional co-operative, where performers are offers ‘a modest guaranteed fee against an even share in the production profits’. Referenced from one of their audition briefs.]
Sybil: This theatre feels like a different theatre to when we saw Sweet Charity here.
Lea: It’s only the second show for Hayes and they have both been…
Sybil: Absolutely stunning.
Lea: Outstanding.
Sybil: It’s so interesting being here with Deb, who was incredible in Sweet Charity, and other performers in the audience.
Lea: I feel like we’re at the start of something really important.
Sybil: I want to see every show that is on this stage. I really, really want to go and see the next one.
Lea: The Tim Freedman one.
Sybil: *massive laugh* There were fucking flyers everywhere and now I need one there isn’t one. [ED: Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You] This show was so strong.
Lea: It was so strong. The great thing was, the parts I didn’t like, were in the script as the weak parts of the show.
Sybil: Yeah.
Lea: Just fantastic. The Man in the Chair was like ‘Don’t worry about this bit’ or ‘This part’s just a filler, let’s fast forward through this’.
Sybil: I can’t express – I get so excited seeing good shows. And I get so excited seeing great talent. And I get so excited seeing theatre companies that are doing clever and brave things. And this show brings all of those together and I’m inexpressibly happy. It made me smile.
Lea: *laughs* This show on the page might have looked like quite a risk because if you don’t pull it off it will just come across as ‘old school music theatre’ being badly parodied. These guys made that…
Sybil: They did it with affection.
Lea: And truth within parody and within stereotypes.
Sybil: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Lea: It was brilliant.
Sybil: I like, for once, there is nothing where I would say – ‘If there was just one thing…’. I have nothing. There was no – ‘just-one-thing’. It was the funniest show I’ve seen with you. It was the funniest show I’ve seen in years and years and years. It was beautifully performed. It was beautifully structured. And just – bravo.
Lea: What about One Man, Two Guvnors?
Sybil: What about it?
Lea: That was the other show where we laughed out loud.
Sybil: Not nearly as funny as this. We laughed a lot, but this was… – I was laughing until I was crying.
Lea: In the other show the comedy was more laboured, more drawn out.
Sybil: This wear very fresh and very – it was just beautiful.
Lea: And I’m also a massive fan of old school music theatre, so it was lovely to see it drawn upon.
Sybil: So, out of five?
Lea: Four and a half?
Sybil: See, you know what, I was going to say four and a half, but during this, I realise I have nothing on which to move it a half point. I walked out thinking four and half, now, it’s a five.
Lea: Oooooh.
Sybil: I mean, it was brilliant.
Lea: I love how you’re talking into the phone like it’s a microphone.
Sybil: I know how hard it was for you to hear the last recording, so I’m, on purpose, going ‘Helloooooooo’. *laughs*
Lea: Maybe we should put this one up as a podcast?

IN SUMMARY

Sybil: Oh. My. Goodness. How could I not know this show existed? A riotous celebration and simultaneously a send-up of musical theatre. James Jay-Moody may be a genius. Squabbalogic goes from strength to strength, and Hayes Theatre – how amazing to be able to back up Sweet Charity with another winner. However, when my feel-good hormones subsided, I have decided that while this show was – is – EXCELLENT – it’s not on a par with other 5 stars – so four and a half… BRAVO to all involved.
Lea: The Drowsy Chaperone was just such an intensely joyous ride. Hilarious, clever, self-referential and performed stunningly. I wish I was as talented as this cast, so I get get up and have as much fun as they were having. Jay James-Moody crafted, and performed (sheesh is there nothing he can’t do?), a riotous and wonderfully executed magic night in the theatre.
Question: Have you changed your mind about a show after further reflection?

PRE & POST SHOW DRINKS: There wasn’t enough time for food pre-show, but definitely for wine. We enjoyed several glasses of Sauv Blanc on the Hayes Theatre balcony. You have to be early to nab a spot there.
HANGOVER STATUS: We took the advice of The Drowsy Chaperone a little too literally, but only suffered for it slightly.
MORE INFO: hayestheatre.com.au