Review: The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race

Inequality and prejudices provide the laughs as well as the serious underlying themes in State Theatre Company’s latest production.

Whether you say potato or potahto, there’s no way the women of Appleton are calling their beloved race off – but there are bigger conflicts at play in State Theatre’s latest production.

Inequality, sexism, racism and other forms of outdated thinking all come under the microscope in the 90 minutes of non-stop laughter that is The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race.

Carmel Johnson and Anna Steen in The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race. Picture: Matt Byrne

However, there are also conflicting themes and contradictory elements in Melanie Tait’s play.

While it ultimately shows how women are stronger when working together, it also depicts how they can be their own worst enemies by undermining each other or clinging to concerns about shallow public perceptions.

Although the play addresses what a slow and difficult process it can be to change old attitudes and prejudices – particularly in isolated or insular communities – it relies heavily on milking those same sexist, homophobic and racist remarks for its laughs.

There are times when you might wonder whether you’re in Appleton or Kingswood Country.

Based on real events which occurred in Tait’s hometown of Robertson, it looks at the fallout that occurs when one person starts a fundraising campaign to make the $200 prizemoney for the women’s race equal to the $1000 men’s prize.

The first half of the script is fairly perfunctory as it sets up the friction over money and between the women themselves.

Carmel Johnson, Anna Steen, Sarah Brokensha in The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race. Picture: Matt Byrne

It’s not until a surprise reveal about the 1988 race winner that the cat is truly set among the potatoes, and things take a more absurd twist that brings out the women’s diverse underlying personal concerns and predictably unites their cause.

Anna Steen brings equal measures of humorous warmth and crusading abrasiveness to the character of Dr Penny Anderson, who returns home after a long absence to immediately confront both the ghosts of her past and the unequal prizemoney.

As former best friend, town hairdresser, rugby sidelines coach and race champion Nikki, Sarah Brokensha exudes exuberance and delivers the most outrageous bogan expressions in a hilarious tirade, culminating in a frill-necked blizzard of an aerobic dance routine.

The rapport between old friends and country show organisers Bev and Barb – who

Carmel Johnson, Genevieve Mooy, Susie Youssef in The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race. Picture: Matt Byrne

are as different as chalk and cheese – is the heart and soul of the play. Both have big secrets: Carmel Johnson’s superbly blunt and dry witted Bev about her health, and Genevieve Mooy’s flighty, fun filled Barb about the race itself.

Susie Youssef is wonderful as another type of outsider, Syrian migrant Rania, who brings a very different and uniquely balanced perspective on how the tight-knit community works.

Director Elena Carapetis keeps the pace and punchlines flowing briskly on Kathryn Sproul’s corrugated iron set, which conceals just as many surprises as the townswomen themselves.

The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race

Royalty Theatre, Adelaide

Until June 19