REVIEW: FOR WHAT WE LABOUR - A COMEDY OF HEIRS
Full of cheeky word play, clever theatre in-jokes and hard to pronounce character names, Hiccup Productions offers up an energetic, original comedy that would make Shakespeare proud.
Set in Ancient Greece, For What We Labour: A Comedy of Heirs is a farcical comedy and "kitchen sink drama." The term "kitchen sink drama" originated from 1950s expressionist art which often featured the working class unpacking their mundanity and gritty, real life issues like poverty and class inequality. Here, we are introduced to recently exiled member of the Greek Chorus Hamartia (enthusiastically performed by Renata Ona), who is tasked by meddlesome god Dionysus to narrate the life and dilemmas faced by Anthisma (the very pregnant and stressed protagonist), her father (Aplistos), their housekeeper (Lamprosa), her best friend (Evrostos), and two untimely guests (Pyknos and Paratolmos).
Anthisma rejects her seemingly predetermined path of inheriting her father’s record keeping role in Athens and the narrative focuses on her pregnancy, the absent, buffoonish and deeply in debt father-to-be (a delightful performance from Johnny Thirakul) and how she can better her life rather than accept her fate as a wife, mother and being the heir to the family business. It is Greek girl power at its best and Trisha Seecharan excels in her role. Seecharan’s interactions with her family (particularly with her father played by the always hilarious Tyler Brent) feel authentic and relatable for modern audiences. There’s a lot to take in with time constraints here so audiences must pay attention to piece together who everyone is and how they fit into Anthisma’s story. Luckily, frequent check ins from Ona’s rainbow-socked, tuxedo-clad Hamartia help immensely.
The costumes and set design are lavish and impressive and I can see future productions of this show doing well in an outdoor theatre setting to add to the overall atmosphere of Ancient Greece. It is a refreshing female-centric narrative from playwright Renata Ona who delivers a chaotic but impactful comedy about women and their role in society during ancient history that still resonates for modern day audiences. If you like farce, fast-paced dialogue and challenging the ancient status quo, then this comedy of heirs will delight you.
