April 20, 2009 - 10:40AM
Swiss House, 89 Flinders Lane, Tuesday-Saturday 6pm; Sunday 5pm, until April 26. $25/$20.
WITH the festival skewed to a young audience, it's refreshing to find a show appealing to senior cits - at a sensible time.
The 60-minute play by Gillian M. Wadds borrows well-known tunes (Bizet's Carmen, Gilbert & Sullivan, Three Blind Mice) for its songs, her new lyrics adding some clever wordplay as they deal with everything irksome about old age, from memory loss to bladder failure (the Welsh will particularly savour Hear the Toilets Gently Flushing All through the Night).
There is a sober moment about euthanasia, leading to the refrain Pull the Plug, but mostly it is light-hearted in the vein of Menopause the Musical.
Roger Howell (a commanding basso with Maurie Fields' timing) is joined by operatic colleague Margaret Haggart, Jan Russ and Les Terrill as the quartet growing old with indignation.
Dear team and cast...
Went to your show at the swiss club last night-I am a confessed Melbourne Comedy Festival advocate (I could have said junkie!)and chose it out of the extensive program.
Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the show...it was great fun but made some very true social and personal comments. I guess I was surprised a bit by the force of the "pull the plug " song while amused by the great lyrics and characterisation throughout...as a just 50 something is this what I have to look forward to? No not at all! but yes in some ways the resonance with reality was clear.
Congratulations on a great performance full of so much life and fun and music! Hope the rest of the festival is a resounding success for you!
Regards
Michele
absolutely fabulous show, did not stop laughing during and after show on Sat.night, so much so that I am bringing a friend on Tuesday night 21/4/09 as I want to have more laughing medicine, which is much better than any pills the m.d. hand out.
Please let me know if tickets are available for Tuesday night 21/4/09.
eleanor robinson
Gillian, thoroughly enjoyed show for the 2nd time last night, every bit as good as the first time. Sincerely hope we can organise to have them perform at a few retirement villages in our area we have quite a few villages.
eleanor robinson (again)
Hi guys, have to tell you my daughter, Miranda,(almost 22) and I saw the show on Friday night, 24th, and laughed ourselves silly. We thought you were all brilliant and can’t wait for the next production. Talk about mirror images!
traci hunter (65)
The response from our Club members, men and women alike, was absolutely fabulous! (About half of our members attending were male.) They all enjoyed it immensely and talked about it all the way home on the train. Then one of our members spoke about at our last meeting. We all had a great time.
Jac. Corbett
‘Absolutely Silly Old Buggers’ was a delight. We all enjoyed it thoroughly. The performers did themselves proud and it all came together beautifully. When’s the next one?
Fay Ben David
Please give my congratulations to the four members of the cast… they were marvellous! I loved Martin in the ‘it is’ song, and was spell-bound by the duet by Paul and Helen. And Chloris was great all through, as were they all. Please give them an extra round of applause.
Lesley Bear
Laughed and laughed . and then cried all through the Barcarolle. Fabulous night!
Barb Oliver
Absolutely Silly Old Buggers was absolutely hilarious. When is it showing again? Loved it!
Marilyn
Artists clear and precise. Very, very funny and easily understood.
Alex
The computer song was cool. It should be on YouTube.
Matthew (17 yrs.)
Hilarious, laugh out loud moments fill this play. Toe-tapping songs add to the commentary, reflecting on the various aspects of ageing graciously as Silly Old Buggers. Brilliant cast.
Andrew & Nerida Leeman
I thoroughly enjoyed the show and if I could I’d go again. The music was fantastic and the lyrics clever and very funny. I’d give it twelve out of ten!
Peter Sadler