The Santaland Diaries

Sunday December 14, 2008

THE SANTALAND DIARIES

Presented by John Paxinos & Associates. At Auspicious Arts Incubator, 166 Sturt St, Southbank. Until Dec 24. $28/$24. Tel: 9639 0096

When David Sedaris was a struggling nobody, he took a job as a Christmas elf at Macy's department store in New York. Later, he transformed the month into a brilliant essay that launched his career as America's pre-eminent humorist. Local comic Russell Fletcher is presenting an adaptation of the monologue and being a bit of a Scrooge when it comes to yuletide, I laughed my bon-bon off throughout. The narrative follows Sedaris' journey from sceptical-but-broke job applicant to velvet-suited elf, and Fletcher brings the right spirit to each of the characters stuffing out this stocking: racist and pushy parents; overzealous co-workers; and an array of bad Santas that will have you cringing. Heavens be praised, he gets Sedaris' acerbic but genial voice just right, producing a sarcastic yet sympathetic character. My only quibble stems from the writer's slightly saccharine resolution to his tale, which smacks of Miracle on 34th Street sentimentality. Still, that might be my inner Scrooge complaining.

© 2008

Back to News Index | Back to Home