Geoffrey Rush, Melbourne’s second favourite old lovie (unassailable at number one is of course Barry Humphries), makes Frankie Howard’s signature performance as Pseudolus, the mischievous slave look subtle and restrained by comparison. Rush is all rolling eyes and flailing limbs and like the other top billed draw card cast members Shane Bourne, Gerry Connolly and Magda Szubanski, he manages to shout tunefully but it’s not singing.
However all these failings are part of Forum’s plan, the show not only allows for them it thrives because of them. Groan inducing jokes, bashful looks to the audience and rehearsed line flubs are all part of the fun, a return to music hall, the kind of entertainment parents would describe as ‘bawdy.’ The book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart is hammier than the Coles deli cabinet and is either the very best or very worst example of a Broadway farce. The music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim are mostly lively and forgettable, the notable standout is the show’s opener Comedy Tonight, which fits Rush’s high camp to a tee. The curtain is drawn to reveal a stunning set, a stylised Rome as sketched to life by Gabriela Tylesova, which is equaled only by her costumes and a flawless orchestra. The young leads, Hugh Sheridan as Hero and Christie Whelan-Browne as Philia, only further highlight the lack of musical talent in the cast. They are both wonderful in their roles and make a fine couple indeed. A Funny Thing is perfect in what it aims to be, a show to take your folks to.
