What: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Where: SkyCity Theatre until Nocember 29
KEY POINTS:
In a period of uncertainty when proper usage is under siege from the weirdly phonetic truncations of txtng, there is something deeply appealing in a spelling competition. The zealous pursuit of correctness and unquestioning respect for the infallible authority of the dictionary reminds us of a less complicated time.
Although The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee keeps the emphasis firmly on the comedy, there are moments when devotion to accurate spelling spills over into an endearing love of language. Seldom-used words like crepuscule and chimerical are found to offer a precise description of the emotional turmoil of the show's troubled teens.
For the most part though, the musical sticks to train-spotting territory in which geeky adolescents display a scary familiarity with arcane medical terminology and the taxonomy of South American rodents. The brilliantly witty script reveals surprising comic possibilities in using words like strabismus.
Spelling Bee creates a disturbingly realistic picture of the neuroses of America's middle class, and director Murray Lynch has brought together a talented cast who have great fun breathing life into their idiosyncratic roles.
Semu Filipo brings an engaging physicality to his portrayal of an explosively temperamental fat kid, while Christina Cusiel delivers a moving lament for absent parents and Esther Stephens nails the frustrations of a child genius longing to escape from parental expectations.
Kristian Lavercombe wins plenty of laughs as a seriously weird home-schooled kid, and Madeleine Sami gives a feisty account of the complexities of dealing with two gay fathers.
The eccentricities of the kids are mirrored in the finely judged performances of Jackie Clarke and Eryn Wilson, who capture the barely suppressed madness of the competition moderators.
The rigid structure of the spelling bee is disrupted by a series of anarchic digressions and flashbacks that reflect the show's origins as improvisation theatre.
Grant Winterburn's sharp musical direction keeps energy levels pumping in the song and dance routines.
The show's abrupt mood swings are effectively supported by the superb production design. John Parker cleverly establishes the familiar contours of an American High School gymnasium by drawing on images from classic teen movies and lighting designer Bryan Caldwell creates a smoky orange purgatory for the competition losers.
