Political manipulator Stephen Fishburne (Trent McCarthy) is not having a good day. He’s facing an overflowing toilet at home and dealing with a political scandal at work – he’s up to his ears in crap. When Mo the plumber (Mohammed El Leissy) turns up to fix one problem, Stephen wonders if Mo might be able to help him out with some other stinky business. So maybe Mo’s not qualified as a plumber, but do you really need any qualifications to run for parliament?
There’s a lot to like about this political satire, particularly if you are a local. Trent McCarthy is a Darebin councillor and Mohammed El Leissy also represented the Greens in the last local election. The show is peppered with topical matter including vote buying and free air travel to China. The structure is also interesting: it starts off like a play and then when Mo appears he moves into a stand-up routine in character, then the narrative picks up again and we’re back in the play. Surprisingly this shift in formats works well, breaking up the structure and providing different areas for laughter.
While this show is clever and relevant it’s just lacking a bit of bite. First night nerves surely played a part but the whole performance could really benefit from some tighter writing and some edgier material. The premise is great and the performers are really charismatic but with a bit more comedy punch and a faster pace the show would have a much safer seat.
For more info and booking details go to Mo the Plumber – A Tale of Two Leaks