Poking fun at what it takes to be (or not to be) an actor and cunningly scrutinising the tormented psyche, fragility and conceit of three actors who take on a job that seems harmless, but turns out to be their worst nightmare, this is first-rate entertainment at its best.
Dressing up as cute-and-cuddly bears, and amusing kids for charity with characters like Snow White, Goldilocks and chickens may seem like a fun job to foot the bill, but when the spawn of Satan, in the form of malevolent six-year-old Rodney, turns mall-heaven into the pit of hell, joy spirals into agonising torture for the furry trio. To spill the beans on what Rodney does to the bears (and vice versa), and how their fury escalates into chaos, will definitely spoil the fun of this amusing journey.
Great comedy truly comes to life when action, reaction and interaction, as well as causality, collide head on, resulting in the ultimate reward of entertaining and exciting theatre: a payoff that leaves you craving for more.
Director Greg Karvellas skilfully employs all these elements and makes the most of Viljoen's crackling script. Karvellas allows his cast fully to explore the extraordinary dynamics of the characters and the situations they find themselves in. Add to this a heavenly cast that allows the vibrant characters to explode and you are in for a special treat that will have you roaring with laughter.
Darron Araujo steals the play with his insane portrayal of an insecure idiot; Mark Elderin is in top form as the sensitive bully, and Nicholas Pauling is excellent as the voice of reason; the chemistry between the trio is magnificent. Adam Neil is equally sensational as the managerial hippie, whose strange behaviour unleashes unruly actions.
It is difficult for comedy to be genuinely funny. The craft of comedy is serious business and with Champ, everything falls neatly into place with meticulous timing and hilarious exposition. What's really funny about Champ is that the characters are serious about what they are doing; their dedicated commitment and motivated action result in hilarious mayhem. To be funny, really funny, you have to be serious, and seriously hilarious laugh-out-loud comedy is a definite stress buster that allows its audience to have fun and really enjoy the laugh-a-minute marathon.
Champ is very much like the six-year-old devilish boy: it tinkles profoundly on elitist establishments, precious moral values, and human dignity. Offence is championed by defence and when you leave the theatre you feel good about laughing at all the wrong things with meaning and intent.
Be warned: animals and children are treated roughly in Champ and the play is peppered with colourful language and provocative profanity that fortunately never becomes offensive.
Champ runs until 20 October at the Artscape Arena with tickets R85. Book your seats at Computicket or call the Artscape box office on +27 (0)21 421 7695. Absolutely no persons under the age of 18.
Read more about Champ at www.writingstudio.co.za/page1746.html
