A wolf in chic clothing
Douglas
Carter-Beane writes for both stage and screen and judging from
his play The Little Dog Laughed; he has a thorough knowledge
of American stage and screen comedy as well sound dramatic sense
of his own. Dianne (Kat Stewart) and Mitchell (Tom Wren) seem
the perfect Hollywood couple, a star on the ascent and his doting
manager companion. When a hit play is the talk of the town they
decide to make it into a film despite it featuring a positive
gay relationship. Like a Thornton Wilder character, Dianne acts
as the plays narrator; her opening monologue hilariously sets
the scene to her and Mitchell’s world. Later she and Mitchell
demonstrate some Hollywood rituals like the business lunch where
they sweet-talk the film rights from the highly principled author.
But after being treated as a bimbo by Hollywood executives the
vengeful Dianne will get some much desired industry power as associate
producer on the film.
Consequently the film must go ahead at all costs.
She knows a film with a positive gay male lead will be tough to
'green light' so she cajoles the author into softening the gay
angle in favour of a heterosexual love interest. That Mitchell
really happens to be gay and wants to play the part as written,
even giving his word as a proud gay man; the possible scandal
is the least of her worries. "If a perceived straight actor portrays
a gay role in a feature film, it's noble. It's a stretch," she
explains. "If an actor with a 'friend' plays a gay role, it's
not acting, it's bragging."
But Mitchell falls in love with Alex (Martin Sharpe), a male prostitute,
who falls in love with him. Alex shares a girlfriend Ellen (Ella
Caldwell) with her sugar daddy and when Mitchell threatens to
jeopardise the film for love Dianne turns ruthless. Without giving
too much away, the resolution defies logic in these safe-sex times,
particularly for people making a living from it. It is a little
too much like a movie particularly as Carter-Beane appropriates
a cinematic icon in his concluding scene. Dianne casually critiques
Breakfast at Tiffany’s in the opening scene and Alex’s
plight becomes a gay homage to Audrey Hepburn’s character
in that film. But rather than use the relationship as an incidental
joke to propel the main story Carter-Beane uses it to turn the
potentially screwball comedy into a bitter sweet romantic one
by showing a very real and passionate love affair. With equal
deftness Dianne’s dealings with the author begin to mirror
her own dealings with Mitchell so that they are interwoven to
great effect.
It is an improbable romance but very well written and with two
contrasting star roles and is an excellent choice for this company.
Red Stitch is well known for finding material to show the strength
of its ensemble as well stretch the actor’s range in different
directions. With her strong dramatic credentials Stewart makes
Dianne the type of villain you just love to hate. The comedy is
all there but tinged with realistic spite in the way she schemes,
Iago-like, to part the lovers (there is even a counterpart to
Desdemona's handkerchief!). Stewart plays Dianne as a modern day
Machiavelli masquerading behind Max Factor. She has the full measure
of the character’s shallowness, conceit, hypocrisy and surprising
homophobia. To refer to another famous story, Dianne's relationship
with Mitchell is like Mephistopheles with Faust as she conjures
his soul away from him as skill fully as she conjures him out
of his dilemma and, from the looks of it into eternal damnation
in soulless Hollywood. Alex almost becomes the Marguerite in this
modern Faust story. Juvenile leads seem to have more variety and
spice these days, and there is a parody of old fashioned juvenile
innocence in this with Sharpe’s first entrance as a schoolboy
in full uniform seemingly in trouble and wanting to crash for
the night with his ‘uncle’ Mitchell (as it turns out
the agency provide schoolboy fantasy escorts). Sharpe is an actor
who has proved enormous versatility in a very short time and he
counterpoints Stewart’s ferocious performance with a study
of naivety and confusion as well as the character conflict that
the play needs be believable and Mitchell’s character lacks
to a degree. With very little back-story given to his character,
Mitchell is a mystery among the other characters that seem willing
to talk about themselves. In spite of this, Wren creates a charismatic
but weak hero and like Mitchell, Ellen turns out to be in search
of an ego as played by Caldwell.
The small acting space is also perfect to hold the interwoven
stories, a simple doorway for Alex and Ellen's apartment and luxury
hotel bedroom. At two hours nothing needs to be rushed, the gentle
scenes balance out the comic and dramatic ones beautifully directed
and designed by David Bell.
The final irony is that if The Little Dog Laughed were
ever to be turned into a film it could well go through the same
process, hopefully without the same disastrous personal results.
Michael Magnusson
To read more of Michael Mangusson's theatre reviews,
check out his blog at
On Stage (and walls) Melbourne.
