Rating: B-
For a long overdue and largely enjoyable foray back into local theatre, I went along to the opening night of Kings of the Gym, written by Dave Armstrong. A comedy product of the Fortune Theatre, the play is centred on the Phys-Ed department of a low decile South Auckland School. The production’s plot follows the in house dynamic of new student teacher Annie Tupua (Rhema Sutherland), who joins Laurie and his young but lazy sidekick Pat (Jared Kirkwood) for her final placement at teachers college.
The production of the setup alone is clever, with the set simply consisting of the inside of the P.E office, with a window serving as the imagined outdoor classroom backdrop, where Laurie bellows lesson plans and curt instructions to his unseen classes. Designed as a nostalgic throwback to old school gyms and dated office spaces, it serves an inventive use of stage space for the play to be set. Subtler finishing touches like the hidden but well used dartboard of Principal ‘Cleavage’s’ face (played by Fortune mainstay Lisa Warrington), and Laurie’s widescreen television constantly displaying live sport, effectively convey added layers to the plot and production value.
As the central character, John Leigh shines as Laurie, the ageing, unfit and stubborn Head of Department who has over time declined into a general pain in the butt for Principal ‘Cleavage’. From the hilariously uncomfortable nicknames he assigns to the schoolchildren (“Chopsticks, Harry Potter, Reffo”), to his outrageously sexist quotes, asserting, “I don’t bet on women’s sports, you never know who will be menstruating”, Laurie steals the show. These, along with his blanket refusal of new curriculum instruction, and consumption of alcohol during school hours paints a fairly awful picture, but somehow his attachment to the students, comic timing, and genuine kindness when the play serves up more serious moments, makes Laurie the driving force behind the enjoyment of Kings of the Gym.
Overall, Kings of the Gym is an intelligent, engaging and for the most part humorous production, that plays very well to its audience. The sports related satire, human characters, and the multi-layered plot certainly makes for an enjoyable departure from the cinema.