Writer: Dorian Mode
Title: Feedem Fighters
Stars: Paul Hooper, Jacqui Livingstone, Christopher Sellers, Jason Perini
Season: July 3- July 17,2011
Venue:Zenith theatre, Railway street, Chatswood
Caption: Jason Perini as Daryl in ‘Feedem Fighters’

Feedem Fighters is local writer Dorian Mode’s take on the recent phenomenon of cooking and makeover programs on television. Central Coast soft-drink salesman Daryl (Jason Perini) has a few marital problems — such as the fact that his wife is trying to bump him out of the picture while she jets off to Bali with her Pilates instructor.

But how to do that? She chooses to arrange for the “Feedem Fighters”, Shona (Jacqui Livingstone), Kevin (Paul Hooper) and Gary (Christopher Sellers) to nab Daryl, ostensibly as a surprise for his 30th birthday.

But these guys aren’t some vigilante group or terrorist cell. They are a company who essentially kidnap those of a certain Body Mass Index and keep them captive until they lose weight. As Daryl desperately seeks escape, and junk food, he gets to know his captors and reveal the true motive behind his wife’s seemingly generous birthday present.

Mode’s first play is chock-full of delicious puns, sweet moments and satisfying bites of silliness. The performers worked hard and the audience lapped up their efforts.At more than 100 minutes, it did weigh itself down at times, and trimming some of the ‘fat’ would really make this production something special.

Feedem Fighters has great potential to be a sharp and timely take on society’s obsession with food and figure. The concept is original and the performances are good — but some editing of each character’s ‘story’ would help.

Perini’s Daryl is charming — natural, loveable, and cuddly in budgie-smugglers. Livingstone creates a Shona who is sharp and strong yet vulnerable, and Hooper shows great comedy timing as Kevin (and Doug, the doughnut-munching video store owner).

Sellers energetically struts his stuff as commando-slash-accountant Gary, but more memorably as Paris, the dance instructor, in revealing lycra leggings.

Dorian Mode’s debut play, to add to his two books of humour-A Café In Venice and The Mozart Maulers shows plenty of promise. ‘Feedem Fighters’ played the Zenith theatre, Railway street, Chatswood between Wednesday 29th June, 2011 and Sunday 3rd July, 2011.