KEY POINTS:
Auckland Theatre Company opens its season with an amusing comedy of manners in which the hard-headed world of big business is put on a collision course with the warm-fuzzy ethos of the politically correct.
This conflict has had a good airing in recent years, to the extent that
the PC liberal is immediately recognisable as a figure of fun, occupying the position once held by the hapless Irishman.
The maths tutor raises a laugh simply by walking on stage with his sandals and bone carving. But playwright Dave Armstrong creates characters that transcend the familiar stereotypes.
Eryn Wilson's school teacher exhibits all the expected inanities of the PC liberal and is the butt of constant ridicule because of the size of his salary and libido. But he emerges as a credible character by rapidly adapting to the cut-throat world of the free market.
He is also genuinely engaging as a maths tutor and projects an infectious passion for his subject.
Likewise Peter Elliott's self-made businessman is suitably shallow, materialistic and hedonistic but reveals himself as a rough diamond with a heart of gold and displays an appealing vulnerability as his personal life begins to collapse.
Armstrong is even-handed in his treatment of the clash between rampant capitalism and the PC humanism. The approach makes for more satisfying drama, though this comes at the expense of the humour.
The biggest laughs are generated when the characters revert to their ranting stereotypes. When they behave like well-rounded individuals who are prepared to learn from each other, the drama develops a slightly maudlin quality.
The schoolboy at the centre of the conflict also works against the expectations. The inarticulate grunts of teenage conversation are replaced with a sharp wit and a personality that borders on the loquacious.
Damien Harrison carries the part well, though his surly stares are often a good deal more expressive than the clever one-liners.
Rachael Walker's lavish set conveys the sterile opulence of Paritai Drive but the detailed naturalism gives the play the feel of drawing-room drama.
All the action is confined to a single room and many of most interesting moments - the tutor cutting loose at a strip-club or the businessman's manipulation of a custody hearing - take place off-stage and are brought to us as reported speech.
These limitations are made up for by the performances. The actors are at home in their roles, and Elliott is particularly impressive, with superb comic timing and the ability to swing between emotional extremes.
