Michelle Law’s play is a variation on a popular narrative device, that of two people trading places, and seeing what eventuates. One can play these kind of scenarios for the drama or the comedy. Law’s play goes for whipsmart comedy with plenty of bite to it.
Kimie Tsukakoshi plays hard working, occasionally temperamental, Asian nail salon artist Winnie. Amber McMahon plays caucasian Kate, a high flying executive for a media company, the Multicultural Broadcasting Commission.
The play begins with Kate visiting Winnie’s salon for what we assume is a regular visit. Kate is condescending in her attitude to Winnie, and rushes through the appointment. TOP COAT starts in earnest when, one day, whilst Kate is having her nails done, a supernatural electrical storm takes place and a body swap happens; Winnie becomes the high flying media executive and Kate the nail stylist. They are very different in their roles, Winnie is a much more sympathetic Kate, keen to be supportive of her staff, who don’t trust the change in her. Kate is a much less helpful Winnie.
Law mines the comic possibilities of the situation well. A favourite scene is when Winnie takes Matty, the token indigenous staff member, on a shopping spree with the corporate credit card. When they get back to the office Winnie wants to chat, but Matty rushes out, not quite believing his luck.
After playing their new roles for a while they both wouldn’t mind returning to ‘normal transmission’ with Winnie having the one caveat, that she comes into enough money that she can buy her own salon.
During the play Law’s main satirical jibes are at the Multicultural Broadcasting Commission with its token attitude to equal representation et al. Clearly Law had SBS in her sights.
The show relied a lot on its very brisk pace and the very physical comedy of the actors. The performances were very good led by Kimie Tysukakoshi as the high spirited Winnie and Amber McMahon as the snooty Kate in the lead roles. The supporting cast were great, with each playing multiple roles.
John Batchelor played Kate’s disparaging boss Barry, her daggy boyfriend Jeremy (the role I least enjoyed, h was just too daggy for someone like Kate), and a few other small roles. Matty Mills played the media company’s indigenous worker Marcus and other small roles. Arisa Yura was good as Asami, Winnie’s boss in the nail salon and Yuko, a Japanese Australian scriptwriter in Kate’s team who Kate had little respect for.
Courtney Stewart’s direction was first class as was the work of her creative team. James Lew’s set design features full length boards with castors on them, and each containing a set. Cast and crew moved the boards around the stage as needed. The two main boards were. of-course, the nail salon and an office of the MBC. It is a design the type of which I have never seen before in a production.
Kate Baldwin’s lighting design and Michael Tosuta’s soundscape were both very effective.
TOP COAT is clever, entertaining and very theatrical. Its theme, that we need to treat everyone with respect and that we all should have the same opportunities, no matter what our story is, is one that one never grows tired off, and always deserves repeating
A Sydney Theatre Company production, Michelle Law’s TOP COAT is playing Wharf 1, Sydney Theatre Company until August 5, 2022