Saturday 22 October 2022

Vicky & Roger's Cattle Call review (Melb Fringe)

Who could ever forget the gorgeous Victoria Beavoir and the charismatic Roger Seahorse from when they wooed audiences in their 2019 Melbourne Fringe Festival debut The Pageant? Well clearly the have as this creative duo have moved on to bigger and better things...theatre! Roger has written a play and after much searching, has found his leading lady in Victoria, but in order to get this show on the road, they need to cast 71 other roles, and so begins Vicky and Roger's Cattle Call.

Created and performed by Patrick Dwyer and Laura Trenerry, this is a mix of sketch, improvisation, guest comedians/performers and Australia's Got Talent as they go through audition after audition. But the unquestionable stars here are Dwyer and Trenerry to the point where you keep getting drawn to them even when they are sitting to the side, critiquing their wannabe thespians. They completely and utterly become their characters where a shared glance or the way they sit and take notes is all done in a style that is true to who they are.

That's not to say their guest cast is not up to their level with Brian Littlefinger's (Meredith Cole) handsy act, school teacher Barb Duncan's (Hannah Camilleri) powerful poetry and LA Actor Richard Richard's (Lucy Fox) sensual reading all bringing an assortment of delights. Audience participation is once again a requirement but only by those who volunteer, and they struck gold on this occasion with an a person who perfectly understood the assignment and almost outshone the star of the show Victoria.

With changing performers joining them each night, and the improvisational elements of this show, Vicky and Roger's Cattle Call will always be a different experience. As Roger will attest, the show must go on with whatever local talent is available for auditions, but with the endearment of our bumbling director and stunning ingénue, even if we only had Vicky and Roger on stage, this would still be an evening of absolute hilarity.

Show Details

Venue:
Trades Hall, Cnr Lygon and Victoria Sts, Carlton.
Season: until 23 October | Tues - Sat 9:45pm | Sun 8:45pm
Duration:
60 minutes
Tickets:
$18 - $24 Full | $20 Concession | $18 Cheap Tuesday

Bookings:
Melbourne Fringe Festival

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