Double Disillusion
Written and performed by Rod Quantock
Melbourne Trades Hall — Wednesday to Saturday, 8pm, until at least July 11
Review by Bronwen Beechey
Recently, comedian Rod Quantock was interviewed for the Australian newspaper. At the end of the interview, he made an off-the-cuff comment that he intended to run against Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett as an independent in the next election. The comment was included in the article, and Quantock's phone began ringing off the hook.
The callers weren't just reporters wanting to know what Quantock's policies were (his response was that none of the other candidates had them, so why should he be expected to?). They included hundreds of ordinary people volunteering to help with his campaign.
This response will not surprise anyone involved in left politics or community campaigns in Victoria. Quantock, a veteran of the comedy scene, is a long-time supporter of progressive causes, a familiar sight at rallies, public meetings and fundraisers, to which he has donated his time and talent, and an outspoken critic of the economic rationalist policies of both major parties.
Double Disillusion continues the examination of power, politics and corruption that Quantock began in his 1997 show Sunrise Boulevard. While that show and its successors (the Christmas extravaganza Happy Birthday Je$u$ and the Comedy Festival show Crown of Thorns) concentrated largely on the Victorian political scene, Double Disillusion broadens the focus to national politics.
Those who saw Crown of Thorns will find much of the material familiar; in fact, this show is largely a recycling of the last one, with the addition of one hour's worth of new material and an interval.
In contrast with the highly structured and polished performance of recent visitor Jerry Seinfeld, Quantock's style is deceptively loose (some would say a shambles) and unpretentious — it's not often you go to a show to find the star standing at the door collecting tickets.
The show takes the form of a "mono-media presentation" involving Quantock, a blackboard and a collection of coloured chalks with which he scribbles notes and observations on the board as he talks, until the board resembles an abstract painting.
After chiding a few unfortunate latecomers, he launches into a rambling monologue that includes everything from barbs at his favourite targets — Jeff Kennett, John Howard, Murdoch, Packer and the Crown Casino — to laments at the deterioration in the quality of Teddy Bear biscuits since the takeover by a US corporation.
He claims that his decision to stand against Kennett was sparked by the recent sacking of tram conductors: "There's no fun in cheating a machine". He also launches a few barbs at Pauline Hanson: "Her education ended when they stopped wrapping fish and chips in newspapers".
Amongst the jokes, Quantock makes some telling points about Australian politics. A highlight is his examination of the privatisation of electricity in Victoria, in which he exposes the inherent absurdity of different companies competing to sell their electricity — "Are they going to say that theirs has an extra amp?".
He exposes the influence of right-wing think-tanks ("spot the contradiction") on the Victorian government and demonstrates that the supposed benefits of the privatisation of Telstra would be far exceeded by simply making the wealthy pay the tax that they're supposed to.
It's unfortunate that Quantock is unlikely to win the seat of Burwood in the next state election, as parliament would certainly be a much more interesting place if he did. However, it is worth catching his show (the season may be extended if it's popular enough) just to imagine that this is his "maiden" speech.