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The multitude of productions following the Chicago premiere of this black comedy in 1928 have reportedly all set a cracking pace with the dialogue.  The screenplay of one version, His Girl Friday, with Cary Grant and Rosaland Russell, goes further showing the actors always speaking over each other.

Nicolas Papademetriou’s pacy production at Sydney’s New Theatre suits the wise-cracking style of Chicago’s competitive reporters, waiting overnight in the Court’s press room for the hanging outside of a supposed Communist who shot a black cop.  Things get even hotter when the accused escapes.

It’s hot too for star reporter Hildy Johnson who’s defying her infatuated editor and leaving newspapers to join her fiancée and his mother in what seems a very dull domesticity, but then the escapee climbs through the window.  Hildy (it was a male role in 1928), just can’t say no to a scoop! 

Rose Treloar appeals as Hildy, if overly keen on using Russell’s droll Hollywood drawl, and has frisson with an enthused Andrew Waldin as her editor, while Georgia Nicholas and Cassady Maddox-Booth are effective in other formerly male roles; and Alison Chambers bustles nicely as the outraged mother.

Michael Smith makes an earnest fiancée and the wolfpack of reporters are credible and well directed, notably Barry French, Reuben Solomon and James Murphy, while Braydon May is outstanding in the smallest role as a court officer. 

Truth of performance still remains vital even – perhaps especially - in such a madcap farce as this. There’s juicy dramatic meat beneath all the banter – corruption in politics and law enforcement, racism, media sensationalism and lies for a headline, and the macbre sounds of a scaffolding being built outside to hang an innocent man.  Not much of this is projected here beyond the rush of dialogue; there are too few shifts of tone and beats to underscore characters and plot (let alone better orchestrate endless phone calls to copywriters) .  And to make the wicked humour really sing.

Paris Burrows’ fragmented office set adds little atmosphere or focus but she excels with inventive costumes colourfully true to period and type.  Papademetriou wrote this latest adaption of Ben Hecht and Charles Macarthur’s remarkable play, which at near 100 years never seems to die.  It’s a fun pleasure worth seeing as the 18 actors inevitably find their stride.  

Martin Portus

Photos © Chris Lundie