“Beauty & the Bachie” Spoiler-free Review
EMMA
KNIGHTS PRODUCTION
3
SHOWS ONLY! 16th Feb, 17th Feb 7:30 @ Star Theatre; 23rd
Feb 7:30 @ Parks Theatre
“A parody musical based on reality TV dating shows” – well they got that right! Beginning over a glass of red, Emma Knights and Samara Gill penned a couple of songs… some time later it moulded its way into this witty, hilarious One Act musical. With Music & Lyrics by Samara Gill and Emma Knights, and Book by Emma Knights, this original work of satirical theatre is a must see for anyone that loves a good Bachelor season… but also those that have never seen an episode (guilty as charged).
Except for a couple of episodes from First Dates, the closest I’ve come to watching a dating reality show was an American TV series, “UnReal”, focussing on the manipulative producers and crew behind the scenes of the scandals and dramas you would otherwise see in a final cut. Along with the comedic timing and presentation in Eden Trebilco’s role as Producer, UnReal gave me some common ground to admire the characterisation that was worked into Trebilco’s role of Producer, and it always seemed a warm welcome each time the character returned to the stage, whether to cause trouble or… cause a different kind of trouble.
The other support person for our Bachie is Josh Barkley’s Andy, who liked to whisper a little too much – to the point where I was going to criticise it within the review… until he sang a song entitled “Whisper Song” … and then it made sense! Despite being a Bachelor dunce, I vibed Andy was loosely based off many TV hosts across the dating reality show scene, being the support person with the best mate persona until the end of the season, and then does it all again with the next Bachie. With the audience’s engagement and encouragement, his character’s confidence grew as the storyline progressed.
Your Bachie, Jimmy JJ (not Kevin), portrayed by Trevor Anderson, is everything a bachelorette is looking for… the chiselled jaw, ripped bod, dapper dress code, and an ego that is bigger than well… ‘love’. Trevor Anderson played this role perfectly, conveyed all the necessary (fake) emotions that were needed for the cameras. The desperation to be loved by all the women on the show was just one of the many, many things that had the audience in bursts of laughter.
Lauren, portrayed by Nina Richards, although a smaller role than others, put everything into her character that was required and made the most of the time she had on stage. Lauren’s character helped carry the parody across dating shows that claim to have science behind them (we won’t name and shame…), being a scientist and later being consulted by another character to help win.
Maryann Boettcher and her “assets” became the accidental villain of the Bachelor season, as Melaine. Quick to fall for the Producer’s charms, Melaine becomes the perfect character to stir the pot, as a Producer would want for the hit ratings to roll in once more. Boetcher’s character development shone throughout the story as her personality proved to be more than meets the eye.
Kale (pronounced Carlie… apparently), portrayed by Fiona DeLaine, is the hippy character that we all secretly want in our friendship circle, but won’t admit. Kale wears sneakers with dresses and makes friendship bracelets. DeLaine’s portrayal is whimsical and very believable, through all her ups and downs.
Our fourth bachelorette is Sarah, portrayed by Sarah Whiteley – a single mum that wants to show her son that she can be successful on reality television! There are many funny moments within Beauty & the Bachie that Sarah gets to be part of, and Whiteley delivers every single time, whether it be through mimed conversations with another character in the background that can’t be helped but watched (and miss half of the main action), or moments to shine in song.
Our final bachelorette (and my personal favourite), Ashlee – with 2 e’s! Portrayed by Audrey Tredrea, Ashlee mistakenly thinks that she is part of a different series and is confused about why there are 4 other ladies also present. As a result, she dons the 2nd best costume in the show (I won’t spoil the best costume) for a large portion: that is, until she gets a second chance to show Jimmy JJ who she really is. Tredrea was given the opportunity to play two versions of her character (if you see the show, it will all make sense!) and it is done brilliantly.
Collectively, the ensemble worked well together, with a couple of minor noticeable hitches (unexpected long costume change, props needing to still be moved). The intimate moments between varied characters were well choreographed and for comical purposes, fitted their individual moments perfectly. The lack of microphones requires silence within the audience as some lines are deliberately delivered in a whisper and can easily be lost to someone sitting further back from the stage. The music was balanced perfectly so as not to drown out the singing throughout.
No, Beauty & the Bachie is not a parody on Beauty & the Beast (might have been a thought that crossed one’s mind), but one that takes the cake on paying homage to The Bachelor series, Love Island, First Dates, MAFS and more. Special mention and appreciation for the Spice Girls reference! Knights and Gill have done an exceptional job in putting together this story that I could see being produced by other companies across Australia. With song titles such as ‘Tortured Soul’, ‘That Skank is Kissing my Boyfriend’, and ‘I Can’t Think with my Shirt on’, you soon know what kind of 80 minutes you’re in for – a FUN one!
Previewing and reviewing a piece of original work is a first for this reviewer, and I am so fortunate that this was the piece of original work that takes that title. Emma Knights, Samara Gill, and Choreographer Nina Richards should be extremely happy with the content that has been created to be showcased in this year’s Adelaide Fringe.
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