Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in Sydney

On Saturday I had the great pleasure of seeing the musical "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" on stage at the Theatre Royal in Sydney. This musical is an adaptation of the 1988 movie that starred Steve Martin and Michael Caine. Even though I may have seen this movie, I cannot remember it. This made seeing the musical a far more enjoyable experience for me as not knowing the story plot made it new and exciting.

"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" revolves around two con-artists and the scheming they do to rip money off unsuspecting ladies. Yes, they are dirty rotten guys. Lawrence Jameson, played by Tony Sheldon, is an experienced suave con-artist doing his dirty work on the French Riviera. He uses the ruse that he is a Prince and needs money for his army to defend his kingdom. Tony is excellent as Laurence. It is not only the words he says but the facial expressions and body movements that make him such a charming and sophisticated con-artist.

Lawrence is found out by a younger, uncouth amateur scoundrel Freddy Benson, played by Matt Hetherington. Matt plays the complex character of Freddy brilliantly. He is smart and dumb, vulgar and smooth talking, rough and velvety as the situation asks for. He is not only a good actor, but dancer and singer as well. Lawerence takes Freddy on as a pupil so that his cover isn't blown. They end up making a bet to see who would be the first one to swindle $50,000 off an unsuspecting lady. The winner would stay in town and the loser would have to move on.

The towns chief of police Andre Thibault is played by John Wood, of Blue Heeler fame. Andre is a friend of Lawrence Jameson and helps him in his scheming. John is the only person that I am familiar with in the cast. Even though he put on his French accent, he was still the John Woods that I knew in his Blue Heeler days.

Three women feature in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". They were all starlets who added to the classy nature of the production. A needy divorcee Muriel Eubanks, usually played by Anne Wood, was played by Zoe Jarrett at the performance I saw. Muriel Eubanks romance with Andre Thibault develops through the show. The Oklahoma millionaire Jolene Oakes is played by Katrina Retallick, and the American soap queen Christine Colgate is played by Amy Lehpamer.

All the actors are brilliant in their roles. They make "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" a great  show to see. They are great as individuals in their own right, but what stands out is how they work so well as a team and bounce off each other.

Elements of the show reminded me of "My Fair :Lady" and "Oklahoma" and other musicals. However, this was like the best parts of all previous musicals rapt up into one. It is a great musical, and it is a great comedy. It took me several minutes to relax and get into the mood of the show, as the actors get into their roles and are out there from the word go. Once I got used to them I relaxed and joined in with the laughter of the other members of the audience. It was not just one or two funny moments in the show, it seemed that each line spoken created raucous laughter. Even the witty lyrics of the songs created much mirth. It was more than funny, it was hilarious. The comic highlights of the show were when Freddy took on the role of Lawerence's imbecile brother Ruprecht in the first half, and when Lawrence took on the role of Dr Emile Shüffhausen in the second half.

The sets of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" were brilliant in their simplicity. They did not distract from the action taking place on the stage, they added to it by creating the elegance of the wealthy French Riviera. The stand outs were the palm trees (sometimes stationary, sometimes dancing) and the grand staircase. Transitions between scenes were smooth and did not slow down the fast paced hilarity of the show. The lighting was effective in its broad colour flooding of the stage or highlighting the actors.

The costumes suited the era and characters to a tee. The stylish dresses, men's suits and hotel staff uniforms  helped create the mood of the show.

Apart from the comedy aspects of  "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", it is the singing and the dancing that make the show so enjoyable to see. All the lead actors not only say their spoken lines so well to fit in with their unique characters, their singing and dancing is spot on as well. Some of the dances reminded me of "Dancing with the Stars" in that they were so polished they were a joy to watch. The dances are not just added extras to pad out the show, they are integrated into the storyline.

A special mention must be made of the ensemble here. Their singing and dancing is so professional that each person could be a lead actor in their own right. Even though it must have been extremely energetic work, it was evident that each person was enjoying themselves on stage.

The music was a highlight of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". It was played live by a skilled 18 piece orchestra, complete with string and brass sections. I noticed that after the show was over people gathered around the orchestra pit to enjoy more of the music up close and asking for encores.

I went away from "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" completely uplifted from a great night out at the theatre. It wasn't just me. I made a point of listening to other peoples comments as they were leaving. "Funny!" "Fantastic!", "I'ts funny!", "Great!", "Brilliant!". And yes, they did have smiles beaming on their faces as they went back to their real worlds.

If you want a riotous night of fun-filled entertainment make sure you catch one of its remaining performances before it ends its Sydney season at the beginning of December.

And yes, I'll now have to watch the film version of  "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" to see if it is nearly as good as this stage production.

Website:  http://dirtyrottenscoundrels.com.au/
Performance Details: Tuesday 7pm; Wednesday 1pm and 8pm; Thursday 8pm; Friday 8pm; Saturday 2pm and 8pm; Sunday 3pm
Tickets: can be bought online, or by phoning 1300 723 038, or in person at the Box Office
Where: Theatre Royal, Sydney, Australia