This is a neat piece of small scale theatre, written and directed by Hot Room Theatre Group Artistic Director Steve Hopley.
One of Hopley’s main goals as Director is for his Group to create new work, and get actors, who aren’t regularly performing, up on the stage.
The show riffs off a simple idea that makes one think why hadn’t anyone thought of it before. The concept – to draw parallels between the classic property game ‘Monopoly’, and the real life property ‘game’ of buying and selling real estate in Sydney.
Hopley’s play is currently performing a short season in fringe venues around Sydney. I saw the work at the basement theatre in Petersham Bowling Club.
The staging was minimal. The five performers entered the stage one after the other and took their seats at a longish table where a Monopoly Board had been set up.
Through the play the five characters, their situations in life and personalities clearly come to light. They are well contrasted. There is the guy who comes from a privileged background, and is doing it easy in life. Contrast this with the battler who has never been in the Eastern suburbs, let alone lived there.
Things heat up when one of the players, bored by another slow night at the Monopoly Board, suggests that everyone use real money to make things more interesting.
After much argie bargie between the players the game concludes with a surprise winner!
Hopley’s play features plenty of one-upmanship, witty repartee and double entendres. His intricate knowledge and love for the game shines through.
Jasper Garner Gore, Benjamin Kuryo, Diego Ar Melo, Alison Lee Rubie and Emilia Stubbs Grigoriou each deliver warm, natural, performances.
MONOPOLY will be performed again at the Artarmon Library on Thursday 19th October and the Blood Moon Theatre, Kings Cross on Saturday 21st October and Sunday 22nd October.
A note to end on. Last Sunday afternoon I went to a classical music concert at the Sydney Opera House. I stopped in at the gift shop after the concert and there at the front of the shop was a new Monopoly game- the Sydney Opera House souvenir edition. Great to see this classic game still powering on!