Who, we may well ask, is being served when Nina Stevenson as Mrs Slocum refers pointedly to her pussy in “Are Your Being Served?” at the Gallery Café, University of Canberra, opening this Friday?
Asking this of director Jasan Savage revealed much more than even he expected. How is it possible that he has attracted full theatre-restaurant houses to some 45 shows of this kind over 9 years? Who goes so far, usually finding themselves lost in the out-of-the-way confusion of UC buildings, to see old television favourites? And who is Jasan Savage anyway?
Way back in the mists of time (the 1950s) Young Jasan began a quest to become a theatre designer. The famous stage hypnotist The Great Franquin, after putting him under, invited Jay, as he became known, to be his advertising illustrator. From Melbourne, Franquin took Jay all over Australia, New Zealand, and, on one trip, to 40 American cities in 40 days. 7 years later, when Franquin retired, having reached his target of amassing a million pounds, Betty Pounder of J C Williamson’s theatre pushed Jay into auditioning and his life as an actor began, taking him all over the world (except Russia, he says, regretfully).
For the past 10 years he has worked for University of Canberra Union (UCU) as director (which means doing absolutely everything) at the UCU Theatre in The Hub. The first attempt at theatre-restaurant, in 1997, was The Diary of Adam and Eve, based on Mark Twain’s work, which was a surprising success. Searching for other short plays suitable for a restaurant atmosphere revealed that many television comedy writers had adapted their work for stage. Fawlty Towers was good but needed some changes for the local audience. So Savage rang John Cleese’s agent in London, who passed the phone to Cleese himself. “Do what you like with it,” he said!
And so followed Absolutely Fabulous, Dad’s Army, ‘Allo ‘Allo, The Vicar of Dibley, Black Adder, MASH, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as well as other non-tv scripts like Noel Coward’s Fallen Angels, short pieces by Chekhov (Chekhov’s Funniest), the Wizard of Oz. Even the Vampire Lesbians of Sodom brought in the crowds, averaging about 2600 per show. That’s 117,000 bums on seats in 9 years.
The UCU theatre is dark nowadays, except for rehearsals and university lectures, as the restaurant stage dominates the work. Do people just come for the food and wine? “After all,” says Savage, “I’m just putting on pure entertainment.” But discussion brings us round to the people who come. “Mums and dads from Nappy Valley. They bring the whole family, often ringing to ask if it’s too shocking for Grandma, and then bringing her too.”
Not quite the audience you would expect at a university venue? No, the university people never come, but they are interested in the money the shows earn, even when it costs thousands of dollars to mount them. Gradually we realise that Savage is doing something that theatre has always done – subverting people’s assumptions.
A non-academic audience attends university without thinking “I’m going to university”. But many also then come to other events at UC such as Stonefest. It might be beneath the dignity of the academics to go to these plays, but they are an important bridge between the university and the surrounding society.
“I usually add in some tit jokes,” says Savage, to bring me back to earth. But these scripts “are a bit like the Shakespearean stage where characters talk about what isn’t on stage - like Mrs Slocum’s pussy. It’s about people using their imaginations.” Then when I push further about why families of tv watchers come, Savage at last admits it’s quite different “to see Mrs Slocum in the flesh, talking about her pussy.” They come to see the characters they know. But they want to see them live on stage. This is what theatre can do that television can never do.
So it will be a “screamingly funny night” - judging by the costume rehearsal - when the Grace Brothers staff go to Spain for a Christmas holiday in a non-star hotel which, they discover, hasn’t yet been built. Tent hopping and mistaken identities follow naturally, and the innuendoes … well, say no more.
I’m thinking Canberra society is being surpisingly well served by Jason Savage and his small core of regular actors - Nina Stevenson, Dan Cole, Craig Marvell, Hugh Stevenson and John Rogers - as well as the many occasional performers. UC Players’ dinner theatre is a quirky aberration in a city full of conventional expectations. Light relief, yes - but a bit of the eccentricity which we can all enjoy and which so many of these plays represent. A bit like Jasan Savage himself.
“Are You Being Served” by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft
UC Players at the Gallery Café
UCU Conference Centre
University of Canberra
Fridays and Saturdays November 17 – December 16
Show and 3 Course Dinner $60
Bookings essential: 6201 2645
© Frank McKone, Canberra
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