amendments: A Play On Words

Posted by yodamo

Script: Stagecraft:

Performance: S.O.D:

This was a totally brilliant show from the beginning to end. From the moment when the two protagonists entered the stage, the pace and intensity never let up for a minute. The “Play about Words” was indeed a play ON words as manager Kenneth and employee John sought to navigate the ever increasing demands of political correctness, overlooked by the large whiteboard behind their desks, covered with motivational slogans and strategies to improve employee performance.

John, it seemed, was in trouble and the hour centered on Kenneth’s efforts to correct him. The room shrank as focus and attention grew on the tussle between two men professionally trained to define what political correctness actually entailed. It was the contrasts that I really enjoyed, the arguments and questions delivered with surprising physicality, given that the set was an office and the weapon of choice words. Kenneth would constantly correct John, pointing out a progression of rules and conditions that must be complied with. John becoming increasingly frustrated until he could take it no more and confronted his boss.

With consistent, sometimes astonishing, performances, this show took us on a comedic rollercoaster ride of a debate covering just about every aspect of political correctness. John was driven to anger by the persistent Kenneth, determined to follow the rules. In the end, he complied with the amendments and received praise from his relentless Correctness officer. But not before the pair of them had made us laugh at the absurdity of it all, and made us change and open up to the ideas coming at us thick and fast.

Daniel Donnelly