A total hoot

A total hoot

Review: Give Way – The Musical

Written by Steven Page.

Directed by Jacqueline Coats.

Musicals are written about many things:  war, legends, love stories – but I am pretty sure that very few are about traffic rules.

That has not stopped Give Way – The Musical  - an unashamed musical celebration of one particular traffic rule change, and one woman’s fight to make her mark on the history of transport bureaucracy in Aotearoa.  The show made its premiere at Circa on Saturday 26 April, and continues until 24 May.

I have to say I have been scratching my head to think of other New Zealand musicals.  Of course we can lay claim to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, written by Hamilton’s Richard O’Brien.

And then there’s Footrot Flats, but that was a film.

All in all, there are not too many homegrown musicals. How wonderful then, to encounter this gem.

Give Way – The Musical, written by Steven Page, and directed by Jacqueline Coats is a hoot (should that be a toot?) from start to finish.

Set in a mundane office in the Ministry of Transport, the story follows Sophie (Lily Tyler Moore), a young person attracted to traffic engineering by the power she can exert over others.  Her workmates are the sceptical Tanya (Carrie Green), the love interested Ben (Jackson Burling), and veteran policy advisor Randall (Alex Greig).  The reality of her work in the Ministry is much different however, and her claims to fame amount to not much more than converting some parking spots to a bus stop.

Then the opportunity arises to propose a bold change to the give way rule.

Oh the drama!  Cue the ‘enraged’ of society (including Bronwyn Turei with a mullet wig) to come forth and claim giving way to the right as their unassailable birthright:  “It’s part of who we are!”

Cue shadowy forces within the Ministry, intent on shutting down the change.  And behold the Minister, a god-like figure, who can determine whether the project will proceed or not.

This change to the give way rule really did occur back in 2012, and while the playwright admits in the programme notes it ‘wasn’t quite as divisive as the ’81 Springbok tour’ it sparked his imagination: ‘imagine if it had been.’

Frankly, the facts don’t really matter.  This production is a humorous look at New Zealand’s stolid resistance to small changes that will keep us safer, and the stories we tell ourselves to justify our intransigence.  It’s also a chance to lampoon a government agency, which everybody loves.

For a Wellington audience, this slightly satirical take on policy making hit the mark, with the opening night crowd howling with delight. I happened to be sitting next to Andrew Little, a former Cabinet Minister, who clearly enjoyed the shenanigans and suitably cringed/laughed in the scene that featured the main character infatuated with the marvellous creature she imagined the Minister to be.

Unlike some musicals where the songs are an interruption to the narrative, here the musical numbers blend seamlessly, and move the story forward.  The cast do silly dances, wear silly costumes and the whole thing is very fun and easy to watch.

All the actors are fabulous, managing to achieve the right balance of farce and earnestness.  Most of them play multiple characters, allowing them to demonstrate their range.  Songs performed by Tyler Moore and Green were a particular highlight.

The sparse stage has traffic lights set above it and road cones around it.  A wheeled desk and office chairs are used cleverly to represent various settings and rolled around in time to the music.

Musical director Hayden Taylor on the keyboard at the side of the stage is responsible for performing the sound track, which he does unflappably.

The superb direction, excellent actors and wonderful singing performances combine to make production a huge success.  All in all, everyone on stage and in the audience seemed to be having a great time. Highly recommended.