MTC's production of Australia Day is certainly funny - if predictable. It puts together a number of our cultural stereotypes in a country-town setting, including a member of the CWA, an ambitious Liberal mayor, a Greens councillor originally from the city and an Australian-born Vietnamese teacher. The interactions are pretty much as you would expect. In fact, a good part of the humour derives from the clichés and the familiarity of it all coupled with the absence of political correctness and the holding up for examination of our pre-conceptions. It's all very much in the "here and now", including even a Peter Slipper joke. There are a couple of unexpected turns as the characters develop (although on reflection, perhaps even these might have been predicted by some) and one or two issues of substance but there's no complexity. It's an enjoyable but not really challenging night out - and there's nothing wrong with that!
[EDIT - since posting the above, I notice that one of the reviews said of this play, "There's something to offend just about everyone". Wish I'd thought of that line!]
We didn't book to see Red, which has also been on at MTC. Apparently this play, which is said to consider the "fundamentals of art and what it means to be an artist" is a lot harder going. One of our acquaintances told me that this was the first ever play where he didn't return after the interval.
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