Hubris and Humiliation, Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, 20 Jan-4 Mar

 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that during World Pride every Sydney Theatre needs to have at least one flagrantly non-heterosexual thing on stage, and STC has come forth with this fluffy little endeavor combining the marriage-comedy of Jane Austen with the spectacular lusts of modern Gay Sydney (and further afield) as a young Brisbane boy is sent to live with his gay uncle to be married off to a good quality sugar-daddy to save the family home from repossession. It's unlikely, flashy, and embraces its cliches, but it's played with vigour and energy taking us from a Brisbane RSL club bathroom to a flashy harbour-side mansion, a grand, expertly played party scene where our surprisingly virginal hero is confronted by his various loves, friends and relations as plot piles up on top of plot, and across the oceans to Berlin before a grand wedding dance finale. 

Lewis Treston has an eye for comedy, farce, and youthful vigour, even if some of the character moves do strike one as more convenient-to-the-plot than necessarily deeply embedded. There's all the grand drama of young romance on display, whether it be the key plot thread of our hero, Elliot's, romance with a slightly condescending wealthy Australian Theatre director working on the stages of Europe, or his sister Paige's own struggles with youthful passion - not forgetting the surprising secrets of his mother and uncle's own estrangement. It drips out its secrets and surprises with pace and care, keeps Elliot just-that-right-side-of-naive, and lets the cast play a wide range of hysterical characters.

Roman Delo's basically the somewhat camp straight man to the chaos around him, giving the right vibe of "game for whatever" as he's made-over and pimped out by various family members in increasingly nonsensical ways. I've never seen Andrew McFarlane having more fun on stage as the suave gay uncle with a light purple rinse, dropping acerbic quips left and right in a fine array of suits and gowns. Celia Ireland as his mum gives pure Brisbane chaos to the evening, being the source of every bit of bad advice that is followed by everyone. Ryan Panizza plays both best-friend-our-hero-has-a-crush-on and slightly-aloof-but-compelling-love-interest with just the right mix of enthusiasm (for one role) and languor (for the other). Matthew Cooper has the role that stretches credibility a bit as the gullible Brendan, Melissa Kahraman gives the self-dramatizing sister heart and soul and  Henrietta Enyonam Amevor plays both confidante-co-worker and insensitive artiste in ways that steal every scene that's not already stolen by someone else.

It's a physically beautiful production, with classy, quick moving design from Isabel Hudson, precise lighting from Alexander Berlage and crisp fun compositions and sound from Matthew Frank. In short, this is a fun frivolous delight well worth seeing..