The Bach at the Herald Theatre

Reviewed by PAUL SIMEI-BARTON

It is tempting to see The Bach as a theatrical equivalent of the Orewa speech, and there are certainly parallels, aside from the foreshore connection.

Phillip Gordon, as an embittered middle-aged journalist, gleefully speaks the unspeakable as he lets loose a blistering attack on the politically correct pieties that threaten to turn New Zealand into "a place where humour is not allowed".

The audience reaction was palpable, making it difficult to avoid the feeling that Stephen Sinclair has tapped into a deeply rooted frustration with the proscriptive policies of our ever-expanding cultural bureaucracy.

However, the play is far from polemical and offers a nuanced analysis of a nation searching for a sense of identity.

If Ladies Night captured the adolescent ebullience of the late 80s, The Bach describes the mid-life crisis that has marked our entry into the new millennium.

Sinclair has a highly developed sense of irony. He creates a fictitious writer who complains that his failures are due to a political climate that favours ethnic minorities, while the play itself demonstrates that a white middle-class playwright can achieve a stunning artistic triumph by drawing on his own unfashionable experience.

Sarah Peirse delivers a well-paced production in which the humour arises naturally out of scenes of intense emotion and moments of tender lyricism. With an impeccable feeling for dramatic structure, the play builds to a cathartic climax that somehow manages to blend hilarity and pathos.

Peter Elliott gives a stand-out performance as a well-meaning bloke watching his life slowly disintegrate. His low-key delivery and superb comic timing make for a deeply empathetic character.

Jennifer Ward-Lealand, as the career-oriented wife, exudes a cool sophistication that occasionally manages to puncture the brash confidence of Phillip Gordon in the role of the provocative journalist.

Miriama McDowell brings vitality to a well-drawn portrait of a young woman trying to balance identity politics and careerism.

John Parker's set thankfully avoids the fashion for referencing the vernacular and constructs a full-blown Kiwi bach which perfectly captures the relaxed DIY spirit that has given these humble abodes an iconic significance in architectural circles.