A Broadcast Coup – REVIEW
Image: Photo: Supplied.
By ERIN MODARO
It’s always a good time poking fun at the Australian media scene, and Melanie Tait’s newest play, A Broadcast Coup definitely gives audiences what they want, with a delightful array of wry humour and punny one liners. Tait, who has previously brought audiences The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race, teamed up with director of Ensemble Theatre productions Nearer the Gods and Still Unqualified Janine Watson to deliver A Broadcast Coup.
We enter the world of Aussie media on the hit radio show of Mike King, played by Tony Cogin, with plucky new producer Noa, played by Alex King, who is breaking into the workplace with excitement and ambition.
Executive producer Louise runs the show with expertise, grace, and the weary exhaustion of someone who has put so much on the line for so little recognition. Amber McMahon gives a more than convincing performance as Jez Connell, cutthroat podcaster on a mission to uncover all the dirty secrets of the media industry.
Encapsulating the essence of both good and bad journalism, the play manages to transport the audience into a bustling radio newsroom with a cast of just five. As microphones drop from the roof, lights fade and sound design expertly mimics the vibe of a hit radio show, it’s hard not to feel as though you are peering behind the scenes of a hit Aussie radio show.
A standout would have to be the uptight HR guy, a character that every corporate worker has had at least one run in with over the course of their career. Ben Gerrard puts just the right amount of social unawareness into his performance; every time he appears with an over-the-top “good morning” it had the audience simultaneously laughing and cringing.
The dialogue has some moments that stand out with hilarious pacing from the actors. It’s fantastic when lines like “ladios on the radio” draws such a laugh from the crowd; you know the actors are doing more than one thing right when it comes to comedic timing. Twenty-four year old Noa keeps up effortlessly with the older cast members, capping off her performance with great delivery in a poignant scene.
And Alex King as Noa has a tough job to live up to – Sharon Millership gives an expressive and steadfast appearance as Louise, who was hard to beat as one of the most complex and well-written characters in the play.
