Reviewed by Jacqui Mulady
Feb 2013
As of 2012, Bogan was officially included into the Oxford Dictionary. Not quite certain that this is a good enough reason to write a show about them.
Don’t get me wrong, the acting for the most part was great, the dialogue was suitably funny and the re-write of some very familiar and catchy songs was hilarious. Each of the four actors performed multiple parts, each with their own special idiosyncrasies. Brendan Cooney as G.T., Kim York as Cheryl, Belinda Knott as Sharlene and Matt Byrne as Errol make up the Wingnut family.
Let me say that no-one was safe in this production, be it politicians, suburbs or any other stereotype that you care to think of. All came in for a shellacking. The requirement for audience participation, in particular the multiple sing-a-longs hit the right note with many of the audience, but I am not sure that Director/Writer Matt Byrne got his point across about the stupidity of local, state and federal governments tearing down heritage buildings only to replace them with garish dog-boxes thereby providing the “Bogans” with cash which in no way changes their attitude or lifestyle. It just means they are now cashed up Bogans.
Lighting/Sound by Paul Tossell was functional. Unscripted sound effects of Harley Davidson motorcycles roaring past at the most inappropriate times were very cleverly woven into the dialogue by quick thinking cast. Kudos to Rodney Hrvatin for the most appropriate song selections from this reviewer’s youth.
