A Pratfall from Grace: The Roxy Calloway Story – REVIEW

By DALE BARRETT

Travelling across four decades of Hollywood in a tightly paced one hour show full of laughs is no easy feat. However, for the most part, A Pratfall from Grace: The Roxy Calloway Story balances jokes with a conventional character journey to deliver a satisfying experience that will make you leave the theatre with a tender belly and smile.

The show begins in the 1970s on the set of a late-night talk show hosted by Dick Carlyle as he interviews aged Hollywood actress, Roxy Calloway. The interview details Roxy’s journey through the showbiz industry and flashes back to pivotal moments in her career from the 1930s – 1970s.

During these flashbacks we see the two-person comedy team thrive in their roles. Jacqui Duncan embodies the character of Roxy Calloway brilliantly across the decades. We see her hilarious evolution across the years, growing as a person yet still maintaining her stooge-like persona.

There may not be a brain behind those eyes but there’s certainly a lot of heart.

Her partner in crime, Christopher Attrill plays many different characters during the show: from the blunt, hopeless and nihilistic talk show host to your classic manipulative Hollywood agent. Attrill shines in conveying this sense of satire within these tropey characters; the Mike Myers styled rapid-fire costume changes and accent swapping provides lots of laughs.

A show like this is made or broken on the chemistry of the comedy duo, and here the wordy jokes, character enthusiasm and action, great comedic timing and the way these two play off each other is remarkable.

Nib Oswald’s directing brought extra life to the characters. His voice over narration and the use of a projector screen with humorous photoshopped images help set the scene, eases the audience through the transitions, and complements the jokes between the two leads.

Cheap props like inflatable hammers and scruffy wigs elevate the humour and remain true to the show’s essence of slapstick comedy.

Some of the best jokes in the show were the repetitive gags.  The repetition allowed the humour to build while clueing in the audience as to where the gag was going – and the laughs dug deeper with each delivery.

One issue I had with the show was that the beginning and ending acted as connective tissue, intending to bring all the gags together seamlessly. However, it felt more like an afterthought and didn’t wrap up Roxy’s journey in a fulfilling way.

After so many jokes compromising the character, the emotional heartfelt ending didn’t satisfy me, I failed to buy into it, despite Duncan’s terrific performance.

A Pratfall from Grace: The Roxy Calloway Story  delivers many laughs, and for those who like satirical humour or commentary on early Hollywood, this is one not to miss.

Until September 3, 9:30pm

Emerging Artist Sharehouse, Boom Boom Room, Erskineville Town Hall, 104 Erskineville Rd, Erskineville

sydneyfringe.com/events/a-pratfall-from-grace-the-roxy-calloway-story/