Sydney Life

After a miserable week in Sydney (I'm still unsure of how Wednesday's downpour came about - stop teasing us with this erratic weather: can I wear my spring skirts or should I stick to jeans????), full of studying (for me, at least) and complete media saturation about one person (which in my opinion, disproportionately overshadowed everything else), it was refreshing to witness the 2006 Law Revue. Finally, someone was ready to stop being so serious and take the piss out of...everything.

The show opened with a timely reminder of how our legal system failed cruise victim Dianne Brimble (the case will end at the Coroner's Court on Monday.) I loved the energy and genuine wit of the lyrics (which finally, I could understand, thanks to clever closed-captioning!) and while some may have found it a bit offensive, let's not lose sight of the fact that revues are, by definition, irreverent. And ultimately, the song was called 'Tragedy,' which truly encapsulated the horrific conditions of Brimble's sad demise. (But besides all that, who can resist a bevy of beaming potential lawyers in nautical stripes and sailor's hats?)

The skits were top-notch: there were very few times when the writing failed. (In fact, the only instance which comes to mind is the Monet sketch - bad pun - during which a man couldn't tell who Monet was until he walked a distance away. Mmmm. Yeah, I know.) I was a huge fan of the 'Hey Dissenter' (to the tune of 'Hey Big Spender') number, about Justice Michael Kirby and his penchant for 'complicating the law for me.' In the second half, the 'Pimp my Ride' skit proved a winner - those brainy kids 'pimped' a camel, and anyone familiar with the inane MTV show would have recognised all the nuances and techniques particular to it. But it was the presence of a satirised Keith Windschuttle (ultra-conservative 'historian' who has become infamous for alleging that the genocide of Aborigines never really happened) which truly whetted this aspiring historians' palate: the skit was short, sweet, and very, very funny.

I don't want to talk about 'highlights' - the whole show was fantastic. But if I were to choose a few stand-out moments, one would have to be the video footage of Osama Bin Laden's Adult Friend Finder.com submission. Edited by Josh Rathnell (as all the Law Revue videos were), it was superbly done, and left the audiences clutching their sides in glee. Also, a roman-a-clef about the secret life of The Wiggles shone. Special mention must go to OJ (not merely for his immaculately maintained side swept fringe and super-cute boyish good looks) for his portrayal of the much-maligned Red Wiggle, who has apparently succumbed to a life of alcohol and fast women.

Like Med Revue, the diatribes against the Howard Government continued. Hats off to NK, for his great Howard accent and mannerisms. But the blue ribbon must go to AW, for her Amanda Vanstone impression. The girl was a riot, and the crowd certainly showed their approval! The best dig at the Coalition (that is, singing and dancing style) came with an appropriation of the song 'Movin' On Up,' about the Howard/Costello leadership contest. Loved the costumes (half the cast were 'Costellos' in their suits and ties; half were 'Howards' in their jogging suits), loved the lyrics (a musical tug-of-war between the two leads, which obviously matched the song's content.)

The whole cast was fabulous, but I do think there seemed to be a faction of four boys who really dominated. This left many of the talented ladies (and of course, many talented boys) in largely sideline roles, which was a shame.

And while I am loathe to compare faculties (as each revue is different in terms of cast, script, funding, and even audience members) I do have to admit that Med could boast better choreography. Some of the dancers at Law were astonishing: who knew TB could perform a one-handed cartwheel, while keeping her bosom safely ensconced with the other arm? But overall, the choreography lacked cohesion.

And what of the nudity, I hear you all ask breathlessly. Well, sadly, I was disappointed once more. Again, I was promised full-frontal, shameless birthday suits...but received only partial, the-establishment-will-be-none-too-happy-if-we-get-our-kits-off-altogether nudity. Oh well - it was probably for the best. I saw quite a few cast members greeting family members downstairs after the show.