The Rude Mechanicals present the Australian première of Roy Smiles’ play “Ying Tong – a walk with the Goons”, Street Theatre 17th August.
Great wits are sure to madness near allied,
And thin partitions do their bounds divide.
—John Dryden
The subversive anarchy and surreal humour of The Goon Show burst on post-war Britain and Australia like an exploding batter pudding. The shockwave wrenched English comedy off its secure moorings and set the course for Monty Python, Beyond the Fringe, The Goodies… all the way to Little Britain. Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe and Spike Milligan became household names. Today, 50 years later, The Goon Show is still being repeated on the ABC.
Roy Smiles’ brilliant new play celebrates the genius of The Goons, but also demonstrates the truth of Dryden’s couplet in the high price that Milligan, its creator, paid for his success.
Ying Tong opened at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and then transferred to The West End and has been touring in Britain and South Africa for the past year. The Street Theatre season is its Australian première. The Rude Mechanicals production is directed by Ian Hart and features four talented Canberra actors: Robert de Fries (Spike Milligan), Steven Kennedy (Peter Sellers), Robbie Matthews (Harry Secombe) and John Honey (Wallace Greenslade). The choral performance of The Ying Tong Song is by OOTS Choir, Tuggeranong, directed by Jenny Sawer.
Visit the Rude Mechanicals web site http://www.camrin.com/rudemech
Preview: 16 August
Season: 17-19, 22-26, 29 August-2 September
Wednesdays-Saturdays 7:30pm, Tuesdays 6:30pm
Matinees 19 Aug, 26 Aug, 2 Sept at 1:30pm
Venue: The Street Theatre Studio
Tickets: $28 Concessions available.
Cut-price Tuesdays $15
Then at Tuggeranong Arts Centre, for one night only, Thursday 7 September
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