Interplayers’ ‘Inspecting Carol’ sure-fire laugh machine
Upon leaving this spoof of “A Christmas Carol” at Interplayers, my wife said: “I can’t remember when I’ve laughed so hard.”
Well, how about 11 years ago – the last time Interplayers performed “Inspecting Carol”?
That production achieved legendary status, at least in my mind, and this new version was no disappointment. This thing is a sure-fire laugh machine.
It’s not actually a spoof of “A Christmas Carol” – it’s more a spoof of a third-rate theater company trying to perform “A Christmas Carol” for the 10th year in a row. This performance by the fictional Soap-Box Theatre Company is even more inept than usual, due to a combination of circumstances.
For one thing, the company is broke. They don’t even have enough money to buy a new fake turkey.
For another, they believe that an undercover inspector from the National Endowment for the Arts has shown up on the set. They are mistaken – he is simply a very bad actor. But in their attempts to toady to him, they take every bit of advice he offers, including his suggestion that he perform the role of Tiny Tim. He’s a full-grown man and will give Bob Cratchit a hernia, but they agree.
He also suggests that the Ghost of Christmas Past be dressed up as a “scary baby.” How can you not love a show in which the Ghost of Christmas Past is dressed not only in diapers, but also in a Mexican serape? He even carries in his hand something called “the piñata of hope.”
The show has plenty of other sight gags, including one where Scrooge’s tombstone pops up out of the stage and nearly kills him. Director Nike Imoru has orchestrated these moments nicely, without playing them too broadly. She also keeps this show racing along – even though the cast had to pause frequently for the laughter to die down.
Interplayers normally hires talent from Seattle, Portland and elsewhere, but this is its “community production,” which means Imoru tried to use local talent for most of the cast and crew. This was frankly risky, not because the talent doesn’t exist in Spokane, but because the best actors are already in danger of being overexposed.
Imoru deftly sidestepped this problem by casting relatively unfamiliar faces in two of the most important roles. Wes Deitrick is brilliant as Larry, the overbearing actor who plays Scrooge, the beleaguered stage manager. With his top hat and sideburns, he looks like a crazed Neil Young with a crooked Jack Nicholson grin. With his swagger and his finger-pointing, he was a perfect pretentious ass.
Alycia Delmore nails the other key role as M.J, the put-upon stage manager. M.J. is the glue that holds the Soap-Box Theatre together, and Delmore employs an impressive collection of eye rolls, finger taps and barely contained patience to convey her frustration. When she finally snaps, her hysteria is that much funnier.
This frees some of Spokane’s best-known actors to revel in delicious supporting roles. Troy Nickerson brings a great comic officiousness to the role of business manager Kevin Emery. Roger Welch nails a certain actor-type personality as Phil, the passive-aggressive artiste who plays Cratchit.
Bryan Jackson brings an effective comic stoicism to the role of Walter, who has to stand around in diaper and serape. And Kathie Doyle-Lipe once again steals scenes as the pompous British actress, Dorothy Tree-Hapgood, who twirls her locks like Miss Piggy and can shoot darts of pure venom from her eyes. Her sudden switch of accent (from British to American hick) is one of the funniest moments of the show.
Imoru might have missed a few small opportunities. The fake turkey could have been a funnier sight gag. The Tiny Tim scenes might have missed out on a few laughs.
But overall, this is as much fun as an audience can have with Scrooge and Cratchit. Behold the Scary Baby of Christmas Past!