Reverie of an era

Now is an era of climate and wars and Robodebt and populists and sometimes you just need a laugh and Home I'm Darling seemed amusing.  At least the title.  It's an award winning play performed by Canberra Rep at Theatre 3 and we finally got to the last night last night.  I was surprised to see a 2hr20min length (with an interval) but it didn't really seem so long in the end.  It was done well by our venerable company (91st year this year of Canberra Rep; congratulations due).  The cast was great.  Karina Hudson was exemplary as Judy, the housewife with a dream of domesticity and had a fabulously projected voice to carry it off.  Hubby Johnny had a less intense role but presented it authentically, especially the end-time resolution, and Mum and boss and friendly couple were all admirable.  But it was Judy/Karina who had the floor.  During the play Mum argues against playacting the '50s from a feminist POV, friend Fran dabbles in advanced housekeeping with vinegar and lemon juice and crystalised soda and her husband Marcus just dabbles and his partnership is suspended for dabbling in staff harassment and boss Alex is misunderstood then understands and finally helps solves the couples' problems and all is resolved in the end.  So, there was humour, yes, but not outright belly laughs.  And there was resolution, but a pretty obvious process and outcome.  So, I left somewhat underwhelmed, not by the production, for that was good, but by the play which was award winning.  I am not a regular theatre goer or even film watcher, but it seemed pretty tame to me.  Amusing, maybe; profound, not at all.  Should it have been?  I'll leave that to the theatre discriminates.  Maybe I should give up on therapeutic humour and return to climate or politics or something I better understand.  Or maybe The complete works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)[Revised] to end the year with Canberra Rep?  PS.  Some people just thought it was cute.

Canberra Rep presented Home I'm Darling at Theatre 3.  The cast were Karina Hudson (Judy), Ryan Street (Johnny), Natalie Waldron (Fran), Terry Johnson (Marcus), Adele Lewin (Sylvia) and Kayla Ciceran (Alex).