Don’t have time to read the full review? Click here for a quick summary of the who, what, where and wine of this production.
Berliners is the type of show fringe festivals are all about; witty, wildly silly and crude, yet thought provoking and completely original. Writers and performers Nick Harriott and Tom Waddell have a blast performing on stage while incessantly moving milk crates and sourcrout around, and the audience is here for it.
A wall of crates divides the stage into two worlds. Nick’s West Germany is colourful, exciting and grungy as he hops from job to job, scraping by on just enough to keep pursuing his ‘art.’ On the other side of his apartment wall, Tom’s East German life involves a job as a leading news anchor spreading USSR propaganda – not that he knows that. One day they realise there’s someone on the other side, and an unlikely friendship blossoms right around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 with the power to change history forever.
Commitment to the bit is the key to Tom and Nick’s comedy. Hold back and the jokes won’t land, and there’s no such thing as a joke that’s too silly. Dry humour makes the absurdism even funnier, as Tom and Nick begin to teach each other their ways – Nick plays Star Trek for Tom, and Tom tries to keep the 24/7 surveillance on him convinced that he doesn’t like it. The two are clearly comfortable acting together, and the whole story, though a bit chaotic in moments, is so jovial and unpredictable that we’re just glad to be tall enough to ride.
As a comedy team, Tom and Nick are onto something pretty special. Keep an eye out for them at the next Fringe!
Riesling | Wine Pairing
It’s only fitting to pair Berliners with a wine from the motherland. Germany has not one, but six types of Riesling, ranging from the drier versions that are popular in Australia to intensely syrupy versions and Eiswin which is literally produced from grapes picked while frozen on the vine in the dead of Winter.
My Pick: Jim Barry 2021 Watervale Riesling, Clare Valley, SA
Drinkable now but also cellarable for later, this Riealing by Jim Barry is prepared for any alternate history situation.
Berliners, Flight Path Theatre | Tasting Notes
| Aussie Season | 12 to 16 September 2023, Flight Path Theatre. |
| Ticket $ | $30-38 |
| Writer | Nick Harriott and Tom Waddell |
| Director | Nick Harriott and Tom Waddell |
| Theatre Type & Genre | Play, Comedy |
| See it if you like | Alternate histories, Tropic Thunder |
| Wine Pairing | Riesling |
| Criteria for Wine Pairing | German, dry and flavoursome |
Toasting Aussie Theatre 