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El Diablo serves up the laughs

THE hilarious comedy El Diablo is finally coming to Yarram, after the show’s tour was cancelled twice in 2021 due to statewide lockdowns. Set in a high-class restaurant, the show centres on an ordinary couple experiencing fine dining for the first time. Writer-director Phillip A Mayer said that the show shines a light on just how ridiculous gourmet dining actually is. “This is a fish-out-of-water, clash-of-cultures comedy, sending up the whole pretentious foodie thing,” Mr Mayer said. “It’s so much fun throwing normal people into this alien world where pompous, overblown and self-important people look down on them, as if they don’t belong. It’s something everyone can relate to, feeling excluded and judged”.

El Diablo started touring in November last year when restrictions were eased, and audiences immediately responded. “We were presented with the extra hurdle of having to adapt rehearsals due to COVID, but it didn’t stop us, and audiences obviously had a thirst for something funny because we’ve been selling out everywhere,” Mr Mayer said. “Comedy needs physical interaction to develop, but the cast have been amazing, working to achieve the standard audiences expect from HT&E (Here, There and Everywhere).” When average couple Paul and Maurine finally get a booking at the ritzy and popular El Diablo restaurant, they look forward to hobnobbing with celebrities and wealthy social elites, but their preconceptions are soon shattered, and their evening turns pear-shaped upon the arrival of so-called upper-crust couple Ian and Siobhan. The plot was inspired by an article published during lockdown, where people were complaining about not being able to go to expensive restaurants. “The entitlement of some people, with zero consideration for most who were doing it hard, suffering without much support, was amazing, so we thought we’d explore that sense of privilege,” Mr Mayer said. “It's part observational comedy, with a big helping of farce. “We’ve had audiences in stitches watching the train-wreck unfold.”

El Diablo is produced by the Traralgon-based Here, There & Everywhere Theatre Company, which has previously delighted audiences with the hit Melbourne International Comedy Festival shows Couples! and Table 17, and the award-winning Bogan Shakespeare. Mr Mayer said that the company is excited to be getting back to Yarram before they hit the One Act circuit. “We’ve developed a great relationship with regional audiences who love to see something new and different on their doorstep, and local audiences who enjoy a good inappropriate laugh,” he said. “We feel very lucky to be able to perform, as it’s been difficult for live theatre over the last two years, and we hope people come out for a great night of laughs.”

El Diablo is set to be another fun-filled original serving by one of Gippsland’s premier theatre companies, featuring an engaging story with outrageous characters and social commentary. “It’s what everyone needs now to get them back to live performance – something fun with some great messages,” Mr Mayer said. “The cast are brilliant and have built a highly entertaining piece of comedy and made the characters very real and relatable. “It’s a treat for the actors to play these people and it’s a treat for audiences.”

El Diablo is showing for one night only at The Regent Theatre, Commercial Road, Yarram on Saturday, April 30, with doors open from 7pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door, via trybooking.com/BYHUI or via phone on 0418 585 285.

The cast of Here, There & Everywhere’s El Diablo

Photo: Contributed

Heathers: The Musical is heading to Sale.

Photo: The Wedge/Sale Theatre Company

Heathers comes to town

Tom Parry

ONE of the most exciting and acclaimed stage-musicals of recent times is set to make its debut at The Wedge this week. The Sale Theatre Company will be bringing its production of Heathers: The Musical to the venue, marking the first time that the show has played in regional Victoria. Cast member Cass de Lacy-Vawdon described Heathers: The Musical as a show about finding yourself and claiming your story. “Most of us remember the challenges of high school – wanting to fit-in and trying to find your place,” Cass said. “It can be a challenging time socially. “This show takes that idea and pushes it to the extreme.”

Heathers: The Musical is based on the non-musical, darkly-comic 1989 film of the same name, which starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. As with its originator, the stage adaptation follows Westerburg High pupils Veronica Sawyer (Georgia Robinson) and Jason "JD" Dean (Riley Richardson) as they seek vengeance on the most popular clique at school, known as the Heathers. First-time director Stacey Richardson is looking forward to bringing the show to local audiences, and said that the excitement from the community about the show has been “absolutely amazing!” “We have spent the past three months rehearsing and forming a really tight-knit group and we love spending time together and are enjoying putting the finishing touches on our show,” Ms Richardson said. “It has some serious adult themes but amazing songs sung by the most talented and perfectly cast group we could have imagined. “In the end, the message is that we're all damaged, we're all frightened, but we can make it beautiful by being kind and embracing our true selves.” STC’s Heathers: The Musical will begin showing at The Wedge this Thursday, April 28 until Friday, May 6. The production will also have a short run at Traralgon’s Gippsland Performing Arts Centre in June.

The Heathers in rehearsal. Photo: Niamh Hassett