Experience Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in Parramatta, where sharp comedy, musical theatre and clever deception will unfold on stage.
“If you think you are the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
Expectations vs. Reality
I always used to say, “I wish my life were a musical!” However, by the time I reached my late and troubled adolescence, I finally concluded that living in a constant musical scenario would actually be utterly exhausting.
So, heading to the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, I tried to keep my expectations – and my excitement – to a minimum to avoid disappointment. I shouldn’t have worried.
Ruprecht rules! Or does he...?
Arrival at the Theatre
On this bitterly cold Thursday night, I was initially giving myself a pat on the back for choosing an indoor stage performance over the NRL match playing that night – despite the tempting calls of footy fans walking past the theatre’s bridge entrance.
Rugged up in my furriest coat (which felt appropriately theatrical for the occasion), I stood outside admiring the view while waiting for my dad to arrive. True to its name, a little river ran to the left of the bridge leading to the theatre, which was lined with posters of featured and upcoming shows.
Upon Dad’s arrival, we hurried into the warmth of the entrance, snapping a quick selfie before making our way to our middle-front-row seats.
The Performance Begins
The show was already in performance when we sat down – a detail I love, when the experience begins before the audience has even settled into the room. It kept everyone in character from the get-go.
The musicality and choreography were so fluid that I hardly even realized it was a musical. Honestly, Steve Martin himself could have been performing Ruprecht, and I would’ve been clapping and cheering just as loudly.
The performances in this limited-run show were simply outstanding.
A Game of Power and Delusion
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a masterclass in what happens when two men suffer from the ultimate delusion of grandeur. Eventually, the room itself smothers them back into some form of reality.
Lawrence is the sophisticated, structured, and essential architect of the game (think Mayfair in Monopoly). He built the rules, gave the game its rigid structure, and firmly holds the frame.
Freddy, on the other hand, emerges as the “chaotic, unpredictable” player (Mediterranean Avenue). He doesn’t know the rules yet; he throws the dice unpredictably, but he is entirely willing to learn and play. He’s that irritating brother hoarding stashes of cash under the board during a family game of Monopoly, only to brandish it the moment he steps on the “Jail” space, playing dirty just to stay alive.
More Than a Con
Ultimately, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels isn’t just about deceiving a ‘Wild Card’ woman out of her inheritance – oh, no – it is a battle of philosophies.
Does power belong in the hands of the man who masterminds the board? Or does it land in the hands of the man who refuses to follow the rules?
Perhaps it belongs to somebody else entirely...
Final Thoughts
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels shows the unrigging of a rigged game. One may succeed in deceiving some people, but ultimately, the universe gets the last wink.
“If you think you’re in the right room, you’re the dumbest person in the room.”