“Do I make you randy, baby?”
A review of
‘Randy Writes A Novel’
at the Clurman Theatre/Theatre Row
In the world of puppetry, first there was Punch & Judy, then H.R. Puffinstuff, then the Muppets with many, many more puppets woven in and out, but all those were for the kids (or were they?) Then the Adults got Avenue Q and we howled, on Broadway and Off.
Now there’s RANDY and boy, can he be randy!
Randy has written a novel and he wants to share it with us. So for two months Randy will be looking for approval by putting on a nightly show telling all of New York about his novel – or will he? Tonight Randy will talk on Hemingway, Harper Lee, hoarding, Veganism, Buddhism, the human condition and the challenges of being an artist. It seems Randy likes to talk about anything but his Novel! You see, Randy is having a bit of a crisis – is Art still Art if we don’t like it?
Starting out with warm-up comedian Randy, who, after warming up the audience introduces Headliner Randy, the approximately 75 minutes that follow are basically Puppet Stand-Up comedy delivered by a puppet with skilled timing and obvious improv training. Sitting like a talk show host behind his paper strewn desk, Randy randomly focuses his always open ping-pong ball eyes on several audience members engaging them in dialogue as if he could actually see them. He also touches on many different subjects from current events to history, often using language that would make a sailor blush! This show is definitely for the kiddies, although the night I was there a 10 year old accompanied by his Father!
Randy Writes A Novel is an odd but enjoyable evening of laughter, and insight into the (puppet) mind of an Artist, although I more than suspect we’re actually getting into the mind of the puppet master himself.
From Randy’s press notes:
Star of Australian stage and television makes his much-anticipated US debut!
Randy, the felt-faced comedian, started doing stand-up comedy in 2005 and has since gone on to headline most of the Theatrical Fringe and Comedy festivals around the world, as well as finding success on television with his own show airing on ABC TV in Australia, Seeso in the US and Netflix in the UK.
Randy has played everywhere from Edinburgh to Hong Kong, Galway, to Singapore to Sydney and anywhere in between. Next stop — New York City, Off-Broadway at the internationally acclaimed Theatre Row on 42nd Street
Randy Writes a Novel
Clurman Theatre/Theatre Row
410 W. 42nd St., NYC View on map
Running time: 1hr 15min. No intermission.
Now Playing Through June 10, 2018
Tickets: https://www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/Randy-Writes-a-Novel/
Randy Writes a Novel Creative Team
Author: Randy
Director: Randy
Producer:
Randy Writes a Novel Award Winners/Nominees
– Nominee Best Television Comedy Show – ACCTA 2015
– Nominee Best Comedy Release (with Sammy J) – ARIA 2015
– Winner Best Comedy – Perth Fringeworld 2014
– Nominee Best Comedy Release (with Sammy J) – ARIA 2013
– Winner Barry Award for Most Outstanding Show (with Sammy J) –Melbourne Comedy Festival 2010
– Nominee Golden Gibbo Award – Melbourne Comedy Festival 2009
For More Information On Randy Writes A Novel Click Here
“The Play That Goes Wrong”
As I mentioned above, the members of the ‘Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’, are attempting to put on a 1920s’ murder mystery called, “The Murder at Haversham Manor”, written by Susie H. K. Brideswell, but that play isn’t really important, as a matter of fact, after two viewings, I’m still not sure ‘whodunnit’ or why! It’s the performance, or lack thereof, of the play that is the point here.
The play within a play opens with Jonathan playing Charles Haversham, (played with deafening subtlety by Greg Tannahill, the worst corpse ever) who is dead (?) being discovered in his study at his engagement party by Robert (the purposefully overacted, pompously riotous, and agile Henry Lewis) playing Thomas Colleymoore, Charles’ best friend, and Dennis (daftly played by Jonathan Sayer) playing Perkins, Charles’ manservant, who can’t remember his lines and shouts most of them.
news to Sandra (delightfully hammed up and overplayed by Charlie Russell) playing Florence Colleymoore, Charles’ fiancè and Thomas’ sister who has also been having an affair with Max (who as portrayed with calculated silliness by Dave Hearn) playing Cecil Haversham ( who gets distracted by audience laughter and applause), Charles’ brother (as well as Arthur the Gardener).
Confused? GOOD! That’s how it’s supposed to be. But it’s not about who plays whom – it’s about the timing. TIMING IS EVERYTHING and it has never been better timed than by this group of actors. While what goes wrong, and I refuse to spoil it for you here, seems to be a sequence of random events ‘just happening’ they are, in reality, a series of perfectly staged ‘accidents’. What impressed me most is that there is nothing happening on that stage that isn’t planned down to the precise moment of execution by this amazing cast. In addition, the physical humor and the agility of the actors getting slammed by doors and trays plus the acrobatics perpetrated by all, including some of the, shall we say, heftier actors, is a thing of beauty as well. Combine that with the acting, overacting, missed cues, forgotten lines, and pratfalls and you have the audience laughing non-stop through both acts and remembering The Play That Goes Wrong long after the curtain (and more) comes down.
