Photo: Garth Oriander

Sometimes, you just want a show that is tight, clever and completely entertaining- with The Pitch, Darlinghurst Theatre’s current prodcution- you are in safe hands and guaranteed a fun night at the theatre.

Walter Weinermann is a scriptwriter who is preparing for his big day infront of a panel of industry executives- pitching an international celebrity- heavy blockbuster which contains the 4 great stories of all time- that hasn’t got an ending. In a countdown to his meeting- Weinermann must find an ending to his story and he endeavours to find it in the telling/enactment whilst preparing for the interview.

Its a tiny cramped apartment in which Walter is dreaming of a large scale film- sand, heat and the squinty eyes of a protagonist. Like that of any well crafted story about storytelling- the cliches are present and unapologetic- the film actor’s type- the nature of celebrity (which forces actors to become a crass cartoon version of themselves)- the impossibility of the gatekeepers of the industry- all is impersonated, scrutinised and parodied in a carousel of commentary. Cliches work well because they are based on truth- and it is easy to find our own desire for fullfilling truth (or cliche) in entertainment.

It is clear that this show has earned it’s multi-starred reviews- and there are plenty:

“pure genius” – Metro UK

“Every now and then in the theatre you have the pure pleasure of watching an absolutely wonderful performance. I had that that pleasure last night. The show is called The Pitch.” – ABC Radio National
And it has earned it’s awards:

Awards: 2007 GREEN ROOM AWARD WINNER
Best Actor and Best New Australian Play

Deftly directed by Anne Browning and staring writer/performer Peter Houghton- this a tight and entertaining night at the theatre about the stories we see, the stories we want to see and the stories we tell ourselves- about the entertainment industry and about our lives. What is it we ultimately value- success and fame? Fortune? or Love.

Ultimately- as audiences we want to see theatre which is the hands of astounding professionals- sometimes we are not in the mood for a show whichis rough around the edges- or experimental- sometimes you just want a ready good story told well and The Pitch certainly does more than deliver.

With a very tight team including Paul Jackson (Lighting Design), David Franzke (Sound Design), Natasha Marich (Production Management) and Phil Berry (Stage Management)- all aspects have the i’s dotted and t’s crossed- and we are able to completely to surrender to Peter Houghton’s clever and intelligent portrayal of a writer in search of an ending.

This is a high energy, very fun evening at the Darlinghurst Theatre- especially if you are a Russell Crowe fan!