Reviewed by Jasmine Crittenden
Melanie Tait’s new play, A Broadcast Coup, transports the viewer into the studio of a public broadcasting station. Here, charismatic host Mike King (Tony Cogin) has ruled the morning airwaves for 30 years.
The problem is this. King’s many female fans don’t know that, beneath his charm, lurks a less-than-charming history. King’s success depends on the women behind-the-scenes, including his devoted executive producer, Louise (Sharon Millerchip) and a rotation of junior producers, the current one being 24-year-old Noa (Alex King).
Self-absorbed, egotistical and sexist, King fails to appreciate his reliance on these women. Worse than that, he has a tendency to seduce his junior producers—before moving them on. However, his decades of exploitation are now under threat. The next generation, represented by Noa and her hero, Jez (Amber McMahon), a popular podcaster, is more attuned to gender-driven power imbalances than its predecessors. Plus, it’s armed with new media—and the capacity to influence millions in an instant.
So, an unravelling begins.
Tait’s script is entertaining and funny at times, directed at a compelling pace by Janine Watson.
Some characters, particularly Louise (played with great breadth by Millerchip), are drawn with convincing complexity. Noa’s confidence, ambition and quick mouth provide an effective foil.
However, others lack nuance. King is so persistently unlikeable, it’s hard to believe he has made his admirers swoon for so long. He teeters on the brink of lapsing into a cliched type. Troy (Ben Gerrard), the station’s manager, is amusing as the rule-obsessed bureaucrat, but somewhat predictable.
Designers Veronique Benett (set and costume), Matt Cox (lighting) and Clare Hennessy (sound) did a stellar job on the setting and atmosphere. Sparse neon lighting, clever revolving tables and a handful of simple props enable switching between the radio station, a bar and King’s home at lightning pace, keeping up with the script’s growing tension.
A Broadcast Coup is making its world premiere at the Ensemble Theatre. It’s Tait’s third play, following The Vegemite Tales and The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race.