Above pic :Georgia Parker as Judy, Julia Robertson as Sally, Genevieve Lemon as Dell in Melanie Tait’s new play. Pic Brett Boardman.
A writer’s ability to take an idea, imagine a situation, characters, a journey to follow, a resolution, and to make it work, execute it, pull it off, is just brilliant, and something I am in awe of.
Even more so when a writer executes it as playwright Melanie Tait has done with her new play HOW TO PLOT A HIT IN 2 DAYS. The idea was to imagine what would take place in the room of the scriptwriters to the TV hit show A COUNTRY PRACTICE when they were told by the producer that the show’s favourite character Molly had to die because the actress playing her wanted to move on with her career.
The five scriptwriters huddle together in their writer’s den to try and quickly come up with a scenario that is fitting for Molly’s demise. One that viewers will be able to cope with.
There is plenty of things for the audience to engage with as the writers go through their oscillating, frustrating journey to find the best way for Molly Jones to die.
Tait researched her play, and spoke to some of the original scriptwriters involved. It is safe to assume that the play has a lot of real life elements as well as the fictional/literary ones.
The very experienced director Lee Lewis has been trusted with this play’s first production. It is a wise choice, and Lewis guides the play with distinction.
As do the cast in their portrayals of Tait’s richly drawn characters.
Amy Ingram gives the boldest performance of the night as loud mouthed, take no prisoners Sharon. An ex-bikie gang member, she dominates the group, and an audience favourite. Much of the play’s comedy, yes it is a dramedy, stems from Ingram’s work.
Georgie Parker is tremendous as Judy, the scriptwriter who, over the years had earned the reputation of being the best amongst them to work out a characters path to death. She had become quite the expert at it, though the current task felt overwhelming.
Sean O’Shea played Mozart loving writer Bert who the group see as their central joke maker. Though the group’s task was grave, Bert does come up with some quips. I kind of felt that O’Shea’s portrayal could have been ‘pulled back’ a bit.
Genevieve Lemon played the rather droll more cerebral and aesthetic Dell who saw herself as more of a theatre writer, and didn’t quite fit in to this very pragmatic writer’s group.
Julia Robertson gave a fine performance as newbie writer, the sensitive, astute Sally who also has a job as a nurse. Robertson held her own in the acting stakes with this very distinguished company.
The stagecraft of the design team was good. Simone Romaniuk’s period 1980’s unkempt, writer’s room set worked well though it felt a little cluttered with one sofa leaning in to the audience. The set featured the show’s original central cast board, ensuring plenty of nostalgia. Romaniuk also dressed the cast in period appropriate attire. Paul Charlier’s subtle sound design and Brockman’s stylish lighting design worked wel.
The play started on a lovely note with the memorable strains of the show tune and kept up this high standard throughout.
It is popular folklore that the episode featuring Molly’s passing was one of the most watched episodes in Australian television history.
It just goes to show how emotionally involved we can get with made up characters, perhaps even more so than some of the people in our own lives?!
Melanie Tait’s HOW TO PLOT A HIT IN TWO DAYS, directed by Lee Lewis, is playing the Ensemble Theatre, 98 McDougall Street, Kirribilli until the 11th October 2025. For performance times and ticket prices visit the website.
www.ensembletheatre.com.au
