How To Rig An Election is a comedic seminar on the subversion of the electoral process. Covering the full gamut from cynical to relentlessly cynical, the show provides a darkly humourous view of Australian and world politics.
After greeting the audience with a tongue-in-cheek ‘fringe-y’ theatre piece, the show dives straight into the meaty matters of manipulating the populace into giving you power. Exploring all the options from crushing military power to pork-barrelling, there’s a great deal of biting political satire to be found in this show. While the show does occasionally get a little preachy (as political shows are wont to do), there’s also a great deal of absurdity and straight-out jokes that keep the show from straying too far.
The show on the night was, in the performers on words, ‘a little bit haphazard’. Lines were forgotten and cues were missed, but somehow the added chaos merely added to the enjoyment. Much of the entertainment from a Mr. Al and Mr. Nick comes from the insults and jibes exchanged between performers, and straying from the script just served as grist to the mill.
Joining the grizzled cynicism of Mr. Al and Mr. Nick for this, their sixth season, is Bec Hill. Bec doesn’t seem quite as comfortable as Al and Nick with the scripted material, but she slides smoothly into the improvised banter, creating an interesting environment as allegiances swirl around the stage.
Once the performers settle more comfortably into their script, this will be a great show for the political cynic in all of us.
For bookings and further details, see the fringe festival website