Certified Male examines the life challenges that modern man faces, pulled by traditional and new directives on what a man should be, then complicated by the general confusion of human needs and drives. Its vehicle is four quite different white collar men. The top dog among them discovers himself to have a fatal illness, and he searches for insights to help his colleagues live more satisfied lives. The play uses his narration for context, and develops its story with a blend of witty dialogue, physical comedy, musical numbers, and an occasional touch of improvisation. Entertaining piano accompaniment provides clever mood and sound effects.
The believable, sharply enacted characters are well explored in Glynn Nicholas’ finely written work. In an insightful reflection of real life, character revelations may uncover depth, but the characters do not undergo immediate transformation – they continue with their original, personally unsuccessful behaviours. It may be this that prevents this exploration of male characters, in a play designed primarily to do just that, from feeling trite or cloying.
The production uses only a few physical props, which are cleverly used to thread the story end-to-end. The remainder are enjoyably mimed, creating opportunity for comedy and endearing the actors to the audience. In an era when an audience’s imagination is rarely called upon in the filling of a story, it is nice to be asked to contribute to the construction of the on-stage reality.
The writing, professional cast and interestingly varied performance elements make this a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
4/5
Luke Wilkie
