Thirty days hath September, April, June and November all the rest have thirty-one, except February which has 28 or 29.
It’s not neat, indeed it’s messy, much like Cassandra-Elli Yiannacou’s new play, THE 13th MONTH, a battle between bureaucrats and billionaires to elongate the calendar. Don’t laugh. This play is inspired by real events, a real idea, and a real committee that existed…twice! Please laugh, the play is funny.
Finger on the pulse, ear to the keyhole, eye on the absurd, nose to the ground, THE 13th MONTH lobs the to and fro of political lobbying in Australian politics and the wider geo-political playpen of the rich and fatuous.
It’s date night in a quiet private room, a trio of oligarchs gather to debate time, while a duo of long-suffering political staffers try the impossible, actually get something meaningful done before they get voted out. Change the date.
But changing the almanac is going to take hard yakka. The tabulation of time has been set in a chronological stone since nobody can remember. And what about the zodiac? They’ll have to come up with a thirteenth sign.
Compromise and cajoling and massaging the masculine egos of the multi millionaires are deployed by the two female idealists on a crusade on getting these ultra-rich pricks to throw their swinging dick weight and money behind adding a 13th month to the calendar and tricking them into unwittingly endorsing a more equitable work week.
The compromise comes at a cost. The extra month extracts an exchange for lifting sanctions on an Eastern European fascist politician so the billionaires can do business with him. So what if it creates a soft war. These money men can sell the soft ware.
Directed by Madeleine Diggins, THE 13th MONTH has a rough hewn rawness played out with feverish fun by an invigorating quintet ensemble comprising Anna Clark, Isobel Ferguson, Lisa Davidson, Lotte Beckett and Ashyr Manson-Kaine.
Be quick! THE 13th MONTH plays Flight Path Theatre 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville NSW 2204 for a Limited Run Season until 4 May 2024
Tickets https://tickets.flightpaththeatre.org/Events/The-13th-Month
