HAODS presents hilarious evening of musical satire
The Producers, HAODS, The Capitol, Horsham, May 10-14.
HAODS doesn’t shy away from challenging material.
As well as crowd-pleasing hits like Sister Act, the society has previously taken on darker, more adult shows like Sweeney Todd and The Witches of Eastwick.
Now HAODS is tackling Mel Brooks’ satirical musical The Producers, which joyfully flirts with controversy.
It’s a difficult balancing act to pull off: presenting a tale about characters putting on the most offensive stage show of all time, but making you laugh at its sheer bad taste instead of being offended yourself.
The singers and actors of HAODS do this very well, offering a night of incredulous laughter and smart comedy.
The plot is simple: washed-up Broadway producer Max Bialystock and timid accountant Leo Bloom team up to make $2million with a theatrical scam. They realise that by overselling shares of a guaranteed flop, they can pocket the money when the show fails.
So the pair set out to find a musical that is sure to close on opening night, and they find it in Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden. But will the show actually bomb?
Chris Dale is great as the shyster Max Bialystock, nailing his New York accent and hitting all the comedy beats. Whether he’s romancing old ladies, trying to manipulate a Nazi or lusting after his secretary, Chris always ensures that Max is comically disreputable instead of unpleasant.
Michael Boucher seems to be channelling Matthew Broderick as Leo Bloom, giving his character a nasally voice and weedy mannerisms that are both frustrating
and endearing. He presents a man worn down by the pressures of his job and easily tempted into crime as a means of escape.
Kat Merrick presents Leo’s exact opposite as Ulla, bringing to life a Swedish girl who is bubbly, confident and unaware of how cartoonishly attractive she is.
Cameron Rowell is on fire as the camp director Roger Debris. He presents a man so deluded by showbusiness and notions of his own brilliance, that he doesn’t think there might be something wrong about putting on Springtime For Hitler.
Sam Berry is quieter but equally as camp as Roger’s assistant Carman Ghia.
Last but by no means least is Dominic Batchelor as the unhinged Nazi playReview:
wright Franz Liebkind. He captures a man living in his own sad reality, obsessed with former glories that weren’t glorious, and trying to be intimidating while only ever being idiotic. He’s the only character you’re encouraged to laugh at the whole time, unlike the others who you can laugh with.
Maybe that’s why this comedy works: it uses humour with huge potential to offend but it understands who the true villains are and mocks them mercilessly.
The great songs help too. ‘I Wanna Be a Producer’, ‘Keep it Gay’ and ‘Springtime For Hitler’ are all knock-out moments thanks to the cast and the work of director Barrie Ward, musical director Neil Franks and choreographer Jackie Shepherd.