Zombatland – Queensland season

With a rib cracked from laughing so hard, I staggered in extreme pain from the Visy Theatre where I had just seen Zombatland by Suitcase Royale. I immediately started to consider just what the heck I had seen. Was it musical comedy, was it schlock horror mixed with puppetry or was it just some guys from Melbourne mucking-about on stage with hilarious results. If there is no such term as stupidly genius or genius stupidity, I am coining it now.

Something serious has gone down at the Blue Lagoon Caravan Park that has been under the care of the brothers Grogan since the death of their father who first dreamed up the caravan wonderland. Mayor Grogan (Miles O’Neil) is part Leyland Brother part Rolf Harris and Daryl Grogan (Joseph O’Farrell) is his local cricketing celebrity younger brother. An horrific infestation of zombie wombats however has brought the park and it’s residents to the brink of extinction and these two unlikely heroes are all that remain of the final front until that is, Stranger (Glen Walton) and his crumpet gun come charging in from the video rental booth to lend assistance and save the day.

Packed full of wonderful Gen X pop culture references with an enthralling, tall-tale storyline, Zombatland is a high energy, psychotic variety show romp with a three-piece yokel, banjo-playing band. This is drop-bears on acid and has played to international audiences with award winning acclaim.

Joseph O’Farrell describes Suitcase Royale’s unique shows as being somewhere between a gig and a theatre show, ‘It’s more like a party really’ and with the distinctive story-telling element of the bluegrass music and the wacky skit interludes, ‘party’ is a great way to describe this spectacle; It’s like being entertained by the class clowns at a garage party, Aussie Larrikinism at it’s very best.

Imaginative sets and production design befitting of any great B grade movie, right down to the construction of sets and props out of trash found by the side of the road, are all used to great effect. Caravans move around the stage on wheels and a spooky film projection during the opening song sets the mood. The essence of 1970’s Australian culture is captured in costuming straight out of an instamatic photo (do you remember your dad’s too short shorts and knee high socks?).

Zombatland is out of control, unpolished, unrepentant and hilariously good fun but it is also one of those rare occasions when you see silliness done right and achieve the intended pay-off.  Let me stress that I do not laugh out loud and yet Suitcase Royale had me snorting and hyperventilating with approval for the entire seventy minutes. I was pleased that the show had ended but only because I could no longer breathe unaided. The Suitcase Royale are on my list as number one act to avoid if bladder control is an issue but until then, there should be more nights out like this.

I found a word to describe the Zombatland genre – ‘bricolage’ – it means the creation of work from a diverse range of things. Suitcase Royale’s absolute lack of boundaries and restrictions makes them a remarkable trio.

Zombatland is now playing, until October 20 at the Brisbane Powerhouse, Visy Theatre. Do yourself a favour, grab your asthma pump and adult diapers and take time out of the mundane world of grown-ups to watch these fellows play. With international television interest in the group and a swathe of comparisons to the likes of the Mighty Boosh and the Flight of the Conchords, it may be your last chance to see them before the hit the big time. A late show, starting at 8pm, leaves plenty of room to enjoy a beverage on the lovely back deck of the Powerhouse and tickets are just $30 a ticket – bargain!