SILLY POLITICAL SLAPSTICK MASKS SOME SCARY TRUTHS
THE OUTSIDER
Stage West until April 19 Written by Paul Slade Smith Directed by J. Sean Elliott
★ ★ ★ 1/2
The world would be a better place indeed if only real life politics were as much fun and as harmless as the political mayhem in Stage West’s new comedy The Outsider.
As lieutenant-governor of an unnamed state, Ned Newley (Mark Weatherley) was as happy as that proverbial clam sitting in his windowless basement office balancing budgets and drawing up proposals and agendas for Gov. Clark.
Poor Ned is dragged kicking and screaming up to the big, bright Governor’s office and the glaring spotlight when Clark is caught romancing a beauty pageant finalist. In a brief television appearance to announce his ascendancy, Ned mumbles and quivers so much he becomes an internet sensation. People seem to love that Ned appears to be so genuine and so much more like them than other politicians.
This horrifies Ned’s chief of staff Dave Riley (Mark Crawford), but impresses the shrewd pollster Paige Caldwell (Kathryn Kerbes) and legendary political mastermind Arthur Vance (David Lereaney).
Much to Riley’s horror and disbelief, Caldwell and Vance think they can capitalize on Ned’s ordinary man image and turn him into a political superstar. They think, with their help, Ned is just a few steps away from the presidency.
Knowing they have to get Ned more comfortable on television, Vance pulls some strings and gets the head of the TV station to send Rachel Parsons (Camille Pavlenko), an ace political reporter who, this time, can ask only fluff questions.
This setup in itself would be fun but it’s taken to a whole new farcical level by introducing Louise Peakes (Adrienne Merrell), the only office temp available at such short notice. Louise can’t remember names or faces, misinterprets the simplest instructions and has no idea how to operate the office phone system.
Louise is the only person less qualified for public speaking or politics than Ned, which means Caldwell and Vance see even more potential in her than in Ned. They believe Louise was born to move into the Oval Office and they know just how to get her there. Move over Ned.
The Outsider may be pure silly nonsense, but under all the slapstick, there is more than a few grains of scary truth, especially given the political unrest in Washington, Edmonton and Ottawa these days.
What makes The Outsider so much fun is the inspired casting and direction from J. Sean Elliott. In what is a beautifully controlled, absolutely priceless performance, Merrell is like a human version of a Warner Bros. cartoon character. Her Louise is as optimistic as she is clueless, and bursting with limitless enthusiasm and energy.
As we saw when he starred as the harried father of the bride in Stage West’s There Goes the Bride, Weatherley is a sly, resourceful, uninhibited, physical comedian. He gives Ned a welcome litany of physical and verbal ticks.
Lereaney is wonderfully manic as the overly confident political analyst, which means that Kerbes’ wry, calm pollster is a great counterbalance. Physically, Crawford towers over Kerbes, Lereaney, Merrell and Weatherley, which is a truly effective visual gimmick — especially seeing Crawford is like a deer caught in the headlights and his frame seems made of putty as limbs dangle and flail and it’s hilarious the few times he crumbles into a chair.
Pavlenko and Crawford play up the instant love/hate relationship that forms between Parsons and Riley. There has to be romance somewhere in a political comedy.
As Pavlenko’s cameraman, Robert Klein has one of those character twists that is as hilarious as it is unexpected.
The laughs in Stage West’s The Outsider come fast and frequently, making for a fun evening of gentle satire and raucous slapstick.