Theatre review: Kim Dotcom in MegaChristmas
11:25 AM Thursday Dec 13, 2012
Kim Dotcom is Santa in MegaChristmas.
News that Kim Dotcom had joined the Basement's end-of-year Christmas bash set off the kind of frenetic anticipation that has children refusing to go to sleep on Christmas Eve.
And just as unwrapping the present seldom matches the wish list whispered into Santa's ear, there were some disappointments along with a few rushes of excitement.
The appearance of the big man in a video segment at the end of the show - and in person on opening night - was a genuine thrill.
Dotcom's flair for showmanship and memorable physical presence make him a natural Santa Claus and he landed a few well-timed jabs at the government's staggering incompetence in the handling of his case.
But anyone hoping that Dotcom's involvement might trigger a splatter-fest of hard-hitting topical satire will be disheartened to find the show lines up an eclectic mix of soft targets that includes Michael Jackson, Jesus, Björk, storybook icon Where's Wally, Carmen Sandiego (from a series of educational computer games) and Joseph Kony - the head of a Ugandan guerrilla group notorious for abducting child soldiers and sex slaves.
The Kony material seemed particularly ill-judged in that it failed to recognise there is nothing funny about the appalling brutality of Africa's on-going civil wars and had little to say about the over-blown hype of the Kony 2012 viral video campaign.
On the positive side the show opens strongly with X-rated tales of drug-taking and debauchery among Santa's helpers at the North Pole. A Björk parody neatly captures the flaky weirdness of the Icelandic singer songwriter and Oliver Driver was in fine form as an intoxicated narrator with unresolved relationship issues.
The well-lubricated opening night crowd enjoyed the audience participation gags, though with a running time in excess of two hours the show could have used a bit of rigorous editing.
What: Megachristmas
Where: Basement Theatre
When: Until December 22
I find it proved yet again, that so many in NZ are a bunch of shallow minded fools, who fall for all the last kinds of trash that is presented to them as something worthwhile to watch, listen to and consume.
Lots of alcohol will flow, masses of turkeys and hams from pigs be devoured, sweets galore stuffed into faces, pretencious efforts made to pretend friendship, care and family unity will be exposed as plastered over wide cracks of disagreements between party and function attendees, and the media will present the ususal drivel and crap not worth mentioning.
Malls and retailers will drum it into our ears, eyes and remaining nervous senses to buy, buy, spend, spend and spend again.
Afterwards a great yawn, hangover and regret for over-indulgence and so forth. So many will pack up and leave town, to escape the usual surroundings.
Come January, many will return to work, grumpy, having to earn again, to pay off the accrued debts.
Dotcom is just part of this nonsense now: "Father Dottery Com Xmas", I suppose?!
A friend of mine has met Kim Dotcom. He found him a very approachable and friendly guy.Unlike John Key who requires body-guards and security staff to keep him in any sense of security due to his over-accentuated opinion of his ego.