I enjoyed The Literati so much, I thought I’d do something a little different and write up a review in the imaginative style of the play.
For my more, traditional review, see here
What an incredibly marvellous play
You should go out and see it today
What is it you should so earnestly see
Griffin’s world premiere of The Literati
Co-produced with Bell Shakespeare, a match made in heaven
It’s playing for six weeks, promptly at 7
Adapted from Moliere’s Francophile woes
Playwright Justin Fleming fills it with prose
Classic, but modern, the language you’ll know
Moliere’s iconic wit it endearingly toes
Set today, its musings, slightly more relatable
Its content, nine characters, their morals, debatable
Marriage, jilted lovers, matchmaking’s a task
Doting parents, a writer, he’s incredibly crass
Gareth Davies plays the poet, a pretentious twat
His scenes, hilarious, his manner, down pat
The other four actors, exceptionally cast
Each plays dual characters, no easy ask
Caroline Blazier, she takes the cake
You might recognise her from ABC’s Rake
Kate Mulvany as Amanda, the whole role subsumes her
Boasting some of the play’s best, physical humour
Jamie Oxenbould as the lover, his stage presence, sizeable
Switching parts so well, he’s barely cognizable
A rotating stage you’ll watch with glee
Even if employed all too sparingly
The runtime, long, but fun till the end
You’ll love Fleming’s skill, he’s made such a gem
Caustically wry, its barbs are scathing
Perspicacious and droll, sagacious, wide-ranging
A self-aware tone, the play does partake
A treatise, too, a worthy piss-take
A treat for lovers of prose and wordplay
Or romance, or humour, or the strange things people say
The Literati gets its content just right
Don’t hesitate, go see it tonight
The Literati is currently playing at the SBW Stables in Kings Cross
27 May – 16 July 2016
(Later published by Riverside Parramatta)
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