Anyone with parents over a certain age will find something to connect with in Sue Ingleton’s “The First Step on a Tram is Hell”.
Ingleton divides the show into three parts, with the first featuring Bill Rawlings, a man whose life has been consumed by his mother’s need for someone to take care of her.
Bill’s all bad taste in clothes and perceptive insights into his mum’s lot.
His observations about the ability of older women to get high on a cup of tea, and the dangers of taking his mum on public transport (see title of production) were warmly comic, if not laugh out loud.
Ingleton’s talents as an actress and comedian were more evident when she transformed herself from Bill to Edith with the assistance of some cold cream and a change of attire.
During this section of the performance, the audience heard the not unhappy widow wax lyrical about such topics as the internet, sex, memory loss and those infamous anti-terrorist fridge magnets.
Dialogue like “I don’t mind living in the past, it’s much cheaper” also contained a message about the way many elderly folk aren’t doing that well these days.
As Edith, Ingleton brought pathos to proceedings and some amusing lines.
The show, which could’ve ended a little earlier, neared its conclusion with Ingleton playing herself and discussing her own ageing process, as well as the death of her mother.
The audience, which seemed to be mostly made up of members of La Mama and friends and family of the star, loved her joke about picking up a hunky bloke in a bar and paying him $20.00 to clean her house when he was undoubtedly expecting something else.
The use of a song by the exquisite Eva Cassidy was a beautiful inclusion in the memorial to Ingleton’s late mother, but the tribute was marred by some heavy-handed, if true, feminist pleading.
Given it was “Tram’s” first night, it wasn’t surprising it wasn’t as sharp or funny as it should’ve been. Nevertheless, it’s an enjoyable outing that has something to say about people our youth-obsessed culture doesn’t want to know about.
The First Step on a Tram is Hell is playing at La Mama until 22 April. For more details and ticket bookings see the comedy festival website