Prince Andrew's notorious News Night interview was widely regarded as a “car crash” that dramatically altered the course of his royal career. Playwright Gregory Vines's new one-act play Car Crash imagines the behind-the-scenes panic, planning, and strategy of the Prince's royal advisors in the events leading up to the ill-fated interview.
Although Car Crash took some time to develop the storyline, there were comedic moments from the beginning. For instance, the leading advisor started the show, unable to decide which "bikkie" to eat with his tea.
During the first scene with the Pink Salmon Professor, MJ Wilson, it was confusing to understand what was happening and how it related to the scandalous interview. However, upon reflection, it became clear that Vine had done a brilliant job of introducing character as a professor to the audience, unexpectedly, just as he had been to the advisors. Vine also highlights that the advisors, who are supposed to be intelligent decision-makers, are just as uninformed, and potentially dim-witted as Prince Andrew.
As you entered the theatre, you were greeted by a simple yet effective setting that resembled a boardroom where people worked. A large portrait of a younger Queen Elizabeth was resting on the wall, adding to the overall impression.
There were several instances where something dramatic occurred, followed by a blackout scene change. Unfortunately, this disrupted the show's flow and sometimes took you out of the show's world. This can be a bit disappointing in theatre, but sometimes it is unavoidable.
The team who performed on stage portrayed the characters brilliantly, especially the two advisors, Alec Gilbert and Melanie Madrigali. This duo had an excellent sense of timing with each other.
Gilbert was perfect as the stereotypical Royal advisor, and his facial expressions while asking for biscuits were adorable. For both Madrigali and Gilbert, one of the main highlights of the play was watching them hungover and Gilbert begging to be woken up from his dream.
Elyse Baton played the role of footperson wonderfully, portraying the over-eager royalist. It was fantastic how she conveyed her disappointment and disbelief during the final set of rehearsal questions before the interview.
Wilson portrays the juxtaposition between a real-world person and the almost fantasy Royal life, with a controlled rage perfectly.
In the role of Prince Andrew, John Voce played the character as indecisive and awkward, particularly in his interactions with Madrigali on stage.
Vine’s writing of Prince Andrew here is perfect. When the Prince finally decides in the play's final lines, it wraps up many previous discussions and depicts the dim-witted Car Crash Prince expected in the interview.
Car Crash was an enjoyable show, filled with comedic moments. If you like to poke fun at the royals, this is the show for you. However, before heading in to see it, make sure to brush up on the scandal and the NewsNight interview. If you don't know what happened, most of the jokes and plot lines might go straight over your head.
This is the Australian Premiere of Car Crash - Running at the Butterfly Club as part of the One Act Play Festival 2024 from March 11-16
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