PLEADING STUPIDITY at the New Wimbledon Theatre
★★★
“absurd and delightful in equal measure”
Pleading Stupidity is, as the title suggests, ever so silly.
From Maybe You Like It Productions, this is the true story of two very stupid boys (classic) on their gap year (very classic) working in a small skiing town in Colorado (also pretty classic), who underestimate the excitement such a town provides, and rashly decide upon robbing a bank for some extracurricular fun (a little less classic).
The story itself screams comedy: the case was solved in eight minutes owing to the titular stupidity of these Australian students-cum-bank robbers – inspired by Patrick Swayze in Point Break. But, unlike their hero, they lack common sense in all its forms. Chad (Jamie De Villiers) and Brad (Robert Merriam) end up holding bank workers Kelly (Lili Herbert) and Anna (Ellie Jay Cooper) at BB-gun point, still wearing their name tags from work, and dressed in skiing attire. The only Australians in town, there is never any mystery to solve, and they are quickly caught and arrested. But such unrelenting idiocy is a source of great hilarity, in which no comic stone is left unturned. Whilst there is some discussion of the dubiousness of their defence (stupidity) helped largely by being young, white men from Australia, this show is not really a commentary on the justice system, or male incompetence. It is purely a very amusing romp through this ridiculous crime, in which any seriousness is subsumed into delightful absurdity.
This four-person multi-rolling cast is fabulous as they charge across the stage manically, darting from character to character, in the likeness of those free electrons in metals which conduct energy really quickly (credits to GCSE Chemistry). The show is frenetic in the best way, and your attention is easily maintained throughout.
Pleading Stupidity has a delicious self-consciousness to it, harnessing meta-theatrical commentary wherever possible. From the start, the characters bicker over who should deliver exposition, and announce the coming of the next dramatic montage. It’s all wonderfully inventive, squeezing absolutely all it can out of its small inventory of props and cast members.
The stage is sparse, relying upon four multifunctional boxes to indicate different settings. But these are utilised with much success, as, for example, a pretzel stand seamlessly becomes a toilet then into an airport desk, and back to a pretzel stand. Props and costume are also subtly employed to indicate character changes, to great (and comic) effect.
As delightfully silly as this show is, I do wonder if it has a life that is sustainable or suitable outside of fringe settings. On its regional tour, this London stint took place in the New Wimbledon Theatre’s studio space, which is used to showcase new writing. This suited the piece very well. But the lack of emotional depth and the slightly confused ending does leave the show without much lasting impact. As clever and watchable as this irreverent play is, there is a notable absence in what it seeks to achieve, and its ending feels a little anticlimactic.
That said, Pleading Stupidity is absurd and delightful in equal measure. It’s not Beckett, but it is great fun, and a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
PLEADING STUPIDITY at the New Wimbledon Theatre then UK Tour continues
Reviewed on 8th October 2024
by Violet Howson
Photography by Lucy Hayes
Previously reviewed at this venue:
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN | ★★ | April 2024
PLEADING STUPIDITY
PLEADING STUPIDITY
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