Young people are apparently now fleeing Facebook in favour of Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp, because “oldies” have taken over and hence it is no longer cool. The latest is rapidly replaced by the latest “latest” and it’s a struggle to keep up with the buzz, the word of mouth trends that tell us where to eat, travel, shop and what to buy, read, and wear and what social media we should use to promote our own self – image and “buzz”.
THE ANATOMY OF BUZZ, written by Carl Caulfield and produced by Stray Dogs Theatre Co is a contemporary comic tragedy based around the zeitgeist of image, promotion and selling.
A black and white set of exploding stripes covered in motivational buzz words sets the scene. A cliché power point presentation with flashing images and cartoons of encouragement is presented by Dixon Uzzi, the Anthony Robbins style American organisational change consultant and marketing guru who has been brought into Sunbeam Corp Newcastle by Nick Norton. Convincingly portrayed by Alexander Jacobs, Nick simply wants to save and promote the company established by his father, but is inevitably railroaded by the Svengali like Uzzi into heading a company that becomes little more than a concept with a name change, new logo and the inevitable downsizing of personnel.
A humorous yet chilling scene comes early in the first half as we become drawn into a web of jargon and buzz words to convince all that with the right attitudes and techniques, anything is possible. Dez Robertson is totally convincing as Uzzi, engaging the audience as members of the company that needs to be rebranded and regenerated.
Ben Quilty, Head of Sales, has to be “rebranded” as well. Paul Sansom’s Ben has an almost childlike acceptance of the need for a fresh, modern image; hurtling himself into new clothes, hair, shoes, body and attitude, including shaving his head, twerking to Beyonce and talking to his action figure. The new buzz around him impacts on the relationships he has with his hardworking wife, Kristen, his anarchic son, Tom and almost reclusive but desperate for fame daughter, Amy.
Angela McKeown’s Kristen is the working mother pragmatically aware of the individual failings of her own family while struggling with the bean counters at her work in TAFE. Tom claims “anyone can make money if they want to” while happily living at home and becoming increasingly immersed in socialist philosophy, inequality and potential terrorism. Amy, the saddest of all, hides in her room binging and purging and believing that, despite lacking any talent, if her parents fund her trip to America she will create buzz, become famous and walk the red carpet to adulation and awards.
After a three-year sabbatical, it is pleasing to see this local group, Stray Dogs Theatre Company, back with this new play about contemporary anxieties. Award-winning Newcastle playwright Carl Caulfield’s satire demonstrates a keen awareness of corporate rebranding and reinvention with more than a passing swipe at Emanuel Rosen’s books of the same name.
Stray Dogs’ previous hits include Seems Like Old Times, Human Resources and Shakespeare’s Fools. The Anatomy of Buzz is directed by Carl Caulfield, assisted by Felicity Biggins, with lighting by Theresa Sawert and set design by Felicity Biggins and Robyn Greenwell.
THE ANATOMY OF BUZZ is playing the Civic Playhouse Newcastle until the 22nd February.