QTC, STC and Melbourne Theatre Company
at The Playhouse until June 19, 1999
Reviewer: Kate
Herbert
David Williamson, in
his comedies, has systematically worked his way through social issues,
stuffing his characters overfull with societal problems. It was only a matter
of time before he reached corporate Australia which cries out for social
satire.
Corporate Vibes, about the heartlessness of the
corporations, is a perky if insubstantial comedy with lots of laughs and jibes
at the expense of business stereotypes.
If you have been on the inside of a corporate environment
recently, you will know that it is generally an unhealthy blend of hysteria and
tedium. When the work involves marketing the boss's completely unmarketable
product, staff either smile and lie or cry, "The emperor has no
clothes."
Hype and bulldust, in addition to a fair smattering of pure
terror of Sam, are the currency in Sam Siddons apartment construction company.
Sam (William Zappa) is a corporate thug who has made and
lost millions from housing developments. His latest monstrosity is not selling
because it is ugly and expensive. Sam blames his staff.
His CEO Michael
(Andrew McFarlane) is a cowardly Yes Man, Angela (Caroline Kennison) his
award-winning architect a brusque single mum. Megan (Olivia Pigeot), his
marketing manager, just wants to be loved and his sales manager Brian (Tony
Llewellyn-Jones) hates the decor in the apartments.
Enter Deborah, (Lydia Miller) "malevolent do-gooder",
aboriginal Human Resources Manager who thinks venting feelings and finding
their "song" will improve staff communication. She is too naive to
realise that company directors want staff development to improve productivity.
They don't care about people's feelings.
The plot is thin, predictable and lacking in any depth or
subtlety but this serves the comedy. Robyn Nevin's direction is clever, stylish
and stylised and provides a welcome edge that is not in the text itself. The
sleek boardroom design (Stephen Curtis) is suitably grim and cold.
Zappa is particularly good as the bellowing bull, Sam. The
play does not allow actors any sensitive moments but Lllewllyn-Jones milks the
jokes for all he can. Kennison and McFarlane also provide strong comic support.
There is rather too much unnecessary shouting for the Playhouse in the first
act, particularly from Miller, but the second act is far better all round.
Kate Herbert
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