The John Wayne Principle
By Tony McNamara
Directed by David Berthold
Sydney Theatre Company's New Stages
Wharf 2, Sydney, until June 8
Reviewed by Peter Boyle

"A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do", but the man in question, Robbie, is a Harvard MBA who dropped out of executive life to become a nice SNAGgy househusband. What he thinks he's gotta do is take over the reins of his father's corporate empire for a year.

To do this, he must risk his previously happy personal relationship and his already tenuous relationship with his sister Serena (who really wants to run the company) and take on -- or take on board -- the ruthless values he rejected six years before.

What follows is a hilarious romp through the carnivorous world of corporate executives. Australian playwright Tony McNamara uses a treasure trove of observations made when he worked in stockbroking and the money market to wield razor wit against the inhumanity of capitalism.

On another level, the play is also about what it is to be a "real man". Confronted by his partner, Jenny, about why he wants to return to the business world he once rejected, Robbie replies piteously: "What am I going to tell our son I am? A kitchen whiz?"

ABC TV viewers will recognise David Roberts (as Robbie) and Victoria Longley (as his sister Serena) from the new series Mercury. Both give excellent performances, as do all the actors.

This article was posted on the Green Left Weekly Home Page.
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