‘Caravan ” by Donald Macdonald, an Australian writer, was first published in 1984 and reworked in 2000. After a wet week in sunny Brisbane, it was ironic that Nash Theatre opened with a play about a caravan holiday that hits a purple patch.
Firstly, a special mention of the set – wow, every barbie doll owner’s dream – the inside of a full-size caravan with bunk beds, double bed, sink and table and bench seats that took up the whole stage. It really was impressive, a great design that allowed the actors to be in a caravan, brilliant concept. Well done to the design and construction team led by director Phil Carney.
What could possibly ruin a rain-soaked caravan holiday with friends at a nudist beach? The mostly matured audience lapped it up as the high jinks and low spots of 3 couples were played out in the caravan of the Robinsons. Penny and Parkes (who had left the children at home) were joined by childless couple and long-time friends Monica and Rodney and “the Man about town” Pierce, with his latest, younger girlfriend, Gwendolyn.
What starts as a holiday with friends soon gets very complicated as it transpires there are friends and then there are friends with benefits, yup the good old running off with your best friend’s husband plot. The clumsiness of the affairs, the revelations of further affairs are all brought to the surface in this funny tongue in cheek look at the swinging side of caravan life.
Penny aka Phillipa Bowe was the unlikely adulteress and with an air of Mrs Bouquet had the audience chuckling away with her dowdy dress sense, it was at times like watching Susan Boyle flirting with Simon Cowell, very comical and funny to watch.
But with a husband like Parkes, played by James Hogan no wonder she is looking further afield. The aloof Parkes couldn’t seem to look anyone in the eye as he fussed about his precious caravan, and wanting to run things his way or the highway it did not take much to stir him up.
Gemma Keliher played Monica, mother to 2 fur babies, a sort of Kim character from ‘Kath and Kim” and she played it well. Great bogan voice, stylish dress sense and a downtrodden husband. Her experience as a performer did give her character a very polished edge and she was very entertaining to watch on stage, with mannerisms and interactions with the other characters that led to some very funny moments.
Nathan Seng as Rodney was the most unlikely to have an affair, but what would we know. What transpired was a rather nerdish Casanova adding to the hilarity of the awkward situations the lovers created.
And what group of friends wouldn’t be complete without a good looking rogue which was played by the rather loveable Hayden Sullivan as Pierce. With younger girlfriend in tow, he too harboured secret desires and his youthful and swashbuckling charm suited the character. This is his first appearance with Nash and he fitted right in.
Samantha Herde played a naive Gwendolyn with a sweetness that added a dynamic of youth to the middle age spread of actors. With traits such as twirling her hair and enthusiasm she brought a believability to her character with the audience on her side when the others were giving her a hard time.
Overall, this was a fun way to spend a Friday night – very well received by an audience that may have lived that holiday themselves tsk tsk. Again, congratulations to Phil Carney and team.
Make sure you catch it before it ends on the 6th of June. This friendly community theatre is tucked away in the leafy suburb of New Farm in the Merthyr Road Uniting Church. Lovely area with popular eateries nearby
To book tickets to Caravan, please visit https://nashtheatre.com/.
