Review: With An Insight Into The Movie Making Business, SPEED THE PLOW Is A Gripping Example Of The Dilemmas Of Starting Over

Saturday 12th October 2016, 7:30pm, Roslyn Packer Theatre, Walsh Bay

David Mamet's satirical look inside the world of Hollywood movie making unfolds with simplicity in SPEED THE PLOW. Director Andrew Upton opts to focus on the text that challenges a newly promoted Head of Production to do the right thing as he enters his position of power.

Designer David Fleisher has opted to drop a smaller box set onto the large Roslyn Packer stage, conveying the intimacy of Bobby Gould's (Damon Herriman) new office that is in the process of being renovated. For his first day on the job, Fleisher has left a trolley of paint cans and a ladder in the room that is lined with plastic drop sheets and has stacks of Bobby's boxes and scripts he has to read. The only furniture, a leather swivel chair and a wall mounted credenza. Fleisher has given Bobby's home a similar treatment with another box, this time of glass windows, dropped into the cavernous space. The living room is even more sparsely decorated with a solitary feature lamp whilst Bobby and Karen sit on the floor for their meeting.

The premise of the 90 minute work is that new Head of Production at a Hollywood Studio, Bobby Gould is visited by his long time business associate Charlie Fox (Lachy Hulme) on his first day in his new job. The rough around the edges Charlie has a deal for Bobby that ticks the boxes for a blockbuster with a crowd pleasing script and a major star already lined up for the project. The two are excited that this deal would mean Bobby can lure the star from another studio and Charlie would get his name in lights as a co-producer. As a sideline, Bobby has been doing a "courtesy read" of a convoluted and pretentious piece of writing that would only ever become an art house obscure work and would cost more money than it could ever bring in. Entranced by the seemingly innocent and naive temporary secretary, Bobby palms the reading off to Karen (Rose Byrne) in an effort to lure her to his home and win a misogynistic bet he has with Charlie.

With a fast pace, only slowed by the lengthy scene changes where the curtain drops and the auditorium is left in darkness, listening to David Gilfillan's sound design which attempts to keep the momentum, Upton focuses on the text of the work to convey Bobby's dilemma. Herriman is passionate, cocky and arrogant as Bobby finds himself at the advantage in the power balance between himself and Charlie. He moves Bobby through a range of emotions as he progresses to deciding to betray his friend and long time associate and finally the despair at the realisation of the motivations that underlie his decisions and the awakening that Karen is possibly not as innocent and naive as she would have him believe. Herriman is contrasted by Hulme who embodies the sterotype of part of the 1980's Hollywood movie making machine as Charlie in a weathered leather coat, patterned polyester shirt and jeans and a brash attitude to match. The two work well together to express the process of doing business in the 1980's, with a bold explosive expression which is matched with a good dose of sycophantic fawning as the two go around in circles thanking each other for their impending good fortune, definitely counting chickens before they've hatched.

As the spanner that is thrown into the mix, Rose Byrne initially presents Karen as meek and mild to the point that her lines aren't easily heard. Hampered to a degree to the shape of the set and directing lines from the doorway as she balances a coffee tray, she captures the insecurity of the intern which we have already heard Bobby have to explain how to dial a studio executive and find the coffee maker. In plain pencil skirt and shell top, Byrne gives the impression of someone sent in from the typing pool, hiding hints that she may be either the floozy or the ambitious type that Charles thinks that all women fall into. Its during Karen's meeting with Bobby in his sparse home that Byrne gets to let loose and express more of Karen's personality, expressing a seemingly genuine passion for the book Bobby has asked her to review.

SPEED THE PLOW is an intriguing work that challenges our assessment of motivations and loyalties. Whilst another of Mamet's works is currently playing at Eternity Playhouse, this speaks to a broader audience in its challenging how we look at advancement, new positions of power, loyalty, friendships, lust, desire and insecurity.

SPEED THE PLOW

8 November - 17 December 2016

Roslyn Packer Theatre

(Images from Sydney Theatre Company)

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