Who’s the Best?

Company: Sydney Theatre Company and post
Venue: Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre, Walsh Bay, Sydney
Dates: To 2 July 2011

Zoe Coombs Marr, Mish Grigor and Natalie Rose call themselves post (lower-case p), a peculiar threesome that have based their satirical performance, Who’s the Best? on the incessant question of, who is the best? The who they are referring to is themselves, three comic performers in a group called post. The concept is as simple as the play itself which does little to stimulate the mind but is, needless to say, a rather entertaining hour long show.

The three performers, one of which is Eden Falk replacing Natalie Rose (apparently she is pregnant, a situation they incorporate as a flaw into the show), have devised a judging system that weighs each of their merits against their flaws. After taking into account obvious factors such as looks, talent and smarts, the three decided to take it one step further by adding sub-categories i.e. eyes and mouth as an extension to the looks category.

This is initially a funny concept that entertained audiences and subtly mimicked our shallow society, but towards the end of the performance became confusing and monotonous. As too did a repetitive dance routine that they incorporated at the end (or beginning, who knows) of each scene/category/topic they introduced. Other highlights of these sub-genres include who has the most amount of cancer in their genes, who is the best singer, who has seen the most famous people and who owns the most DVDs.

Though there are several hilarious highlights of this performance, the general intention seems to be a mixture of random mumblings, fragmentary questions and spontaneous battles i.e. the interminable crying competition that has all three staring absurdly into the audience in an attempt to produce a single tear. The only thought that comes to mind is, honestly, why?

To give credit where credit is due, Coombs Marr, Grigor and Falk are all highly entertaining individuals who were perfectly suited to the performance. Those who remember them for the success of their 2010 performance of Everything I Know About the Global Financial Crisis in One Hour will not doubt appreciate their humour and relish in their outlandish routines. Zoe Coombs Marr seemed to be placed at the head of the group, introducing the audience at the start and defining key factors thereafter.

With a long list of accomplishments that includes performing stand up comedy in Sydney, Melbourne and New York and winning the National Poetry Slam Championships 2006, Coombs Marr is both impressive and engaging. Holding numerous positions such as the co-director of the Quarterbred ARI, the co-director of the Imperial Panda Theatre Festival and Cab Sav, Mish Grigor has obviously excelled in the area of theatre, and proves it in this performance. Her comical timing is valuable and amusing. The most charming and suitably peculiar aspect of this performance is definitely Eden Falk. Bizarre mannerisms and awkwardly amusing moments seem to be an easy task for Falk’s debut as part of the post team.

Lighting and sound designers Matthew Marshall and James Brown add a little charm to the performance by having large strips of fabric flow across the empty stage at random intervals. The brightly coloured strips, that purposefully get stuck and fly in the wrong direction, are obviously meant to infuse a low level of farce and do so successfully, becoming performers themselves towards the end. Another added touch of comic functionality is the nude pants and button-up shirt combo worn by the three, which was no doubt a selection of their own.

All in all post can be classified as an up-and-coming group that know how to keep the laughs coming with their clever banter and sharp wit. They definitely have the ability to put on a good show; I just hope their next theatrical venture has a little more meaning behind it.

Haylie Pretorius