The Male Ego
Silo Theatre
Review: Andrew Bancroft
This is a one-man show written and performed by Jon Stubbs. It tells the story of Michael Morgan, from conception through to somewhere in his 20s, in a series of skits and scenes which are alternately funny and serious.
It's an honest picture of growing up as a Kiwi kid, and the characters are made sharp and real by the capable Stubbs.
There are a lot of good theatrical ideas to convey character and setting on a minimal set, so it feels well directed by Tama Smith.
Stubbs is a veteran of the Classic Comedy Club, and The Male Ego is a combination of stage play and stand-up. The overall tone is uneven but, individually, the scenes are good.
The funny bits are great, although some of the low-brow stuff which works a treat in the Classic looks a bit awkward in a stage play. The drama is sometimes very moving, such as the scene where the 17-year-old character has to say goodbye to his pet dog before the vets puts it down.
Developing the work further will mean delving deeper in to what The Male Ego is about. It is clearly not about the academic observations on male behaviour that pop up in the show from time to time. Some of them are interesting, but they have the unhelpful effect of putting the story on pause while you get a bit of clinical info.
Instead, the show is a portrait of hitting rock bottom and finding a way to go on living. This transition is the most important in the story and could be exciting with more development. At present, Morgan is in danger of being seen not as a victim of circumstance but as a loser.
The Male Ego is off to a great start, and getting a try-out in front of audiences should give the team that created it a lot of useful ideas for developing it further.
Theatre: The Male Ego
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