Nana’s Naughty Knickers

Nana’s Naughty Knickers presented by The Rep is a piece of winter ‘froth and bubble’. Director Barry Hill is clear that this is a piece designed to make people laugh out loud and suspend their cares and worries. Featuring a cast that includes some Adelaide ‘theatre royalty’, with Penni Hamilton Smith as the naughty, but enterprising Sylvia, Chris Galipo, as Vera her side-kick, Kayla Cranfield as Sylvia’s scandalised grand-daughter, Bridget, Clinton Nitschke as the lovelorn police officer, Tom, Frank Cwiertniak as the owner of the apartment block, Mr Schmidt, Monique Millar as the dominatrix Heather Van Pree, Therese Hornby as Clair Schmidt, and Marcus Catt as the UPS man and voice.

We discover, in this farce, that Nana Sylvia Charles has lived in her rent-controlled New York apartment for years, much to the chagrin of her landlord Gil Schmidt. For the last few years, she’s managed to hide her boutique of lingerie for ‘mature’ women from everyone but her customers.

Her granddaughter and future law student, Bridget, moves in with Nana and discovers her flourishing, somewhat disreputable business; selling lingerie to older customers. Bridget catches the eye of the local police-officer, Tom potentially for the wrong reasons but, spoiler alert, ultimately for the right reasons. As with all farces, it is improbable and not meant to believable. There’s the fun!

Nana’s open and shut lingerie cupboards are an engineering and timing treat, and it is through them that much of the farcical elements are realised. The set designing, and building by Bob Peet, Stanley Tuck and Barry Blakeborough is to be applauded. Lighting by Richard Parkhill and sound by Sean Smith operated by Hannah Dunwell, is well managed and whilst the set presented some movement issues, it has a lovely ‘nana-feel’ to it with the pastel colours and framed prints and photographs.

I confess to being a ‘mature’ woman and would find my lingerie interests more piqued by more tantalising and risqué garments.  As Monty Python said, ‘I’m not dead yet’, so for wardrobe mistresses Rebecca Jarratt and Jenny Kwok, I would like to see more ‘pulse-racing’ and naughty garb on the ladies of all ages. Millar clad in very fitted black leather did give some hints however, on tittivating and titillating.

While the nights are cold, the theatre is warm and welcoming so pop out to see this not too lengthy play for a relaxing and affordable night of giggles.

Jude Hines

Disclaimer: Jude Hines is directing for The Rep in 2024.