The Roar of the Greasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd

This show is fascinating. It’s a thinking man’s comedy….unfortunately there aren’t enough thinking men left in the world to make up a decent audience…the theatre was half empty last night which is why the show is done only every 35 years. It was a product of the 1960’s which just makes it all the more interesting. It’s got nothing to do with Vietnam (for once) but it does have to do withequality and class warfare.

Sir, depicting the upper class, was absolutely hilarious in all his evil ways.

Cocky, depicting the lower class, was sweet, emotional and very funny. It’s very interesting to watch him go through the thought processes that deliver him from the traditional game of life where lower class tries to get ahead by playing by the rules and upper class changes the rules.

And the seven deadly sins! Gluttony, Sloth, Pride, Wrath, Greed, Envy, Lust. They’re all part and parcel with the show’s “morals”.

And it was censored! There’s supposed to be this line about cannibalism in there: “The sooner you stop dating our missionaries, the sooner you can start eating our daughters!” The line comes about because Cocky reverses everything Sir says. I hate censorship.

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