Elise Wilson is an absolute professional at her craft, making everything look so effortless and easy, when we know that is certainly not the case.
What is her craft, you may ask? Well, she’s a person of many talents, and her latest production I Am Grease Grillson is a testament to that, combining her acting, clowning, writing, comedy and physical theatre skills into 45 minutes-ish of pure enjoyment.
A bicep peeking out from behind the Jonesway Theatre’s curtains is the first glimpse we get of Mr Grease Grillson in the flesh. He’s probably the strongest man in the world, and can you believe it, he lifts elephants and cars all within the confines of a tiny black box theatre. Wild!
If you don’t immediately start laughing at what is being presented on stage through excellent and extravagant movement and sound, including vocals and effects, then I would start questioning your sanity and maybe humanity. I’ve never laughed at a fake door being slammed, and I don’t think I’ll laugh that hard again at a fake door being slammed. Elise and director Duncan are evidently masters at creating amazing bits that are the epitome of zany.
I Am Grease Grillson
A major part of what makes Elise’s performance so successful is how well she gets the audience on side. I can’t quite identify how she does it, but it requires no force, just Grease’s natural charm and cheek. Grease had us not just laughing but dancing, chanting and even, at one point, booing. I wonder if this experience of collective behaviour is the closest I’ll get to being in a cult.
You get much more from this performance than you initially might expect. There’s a tenderness to the character of Grease, and as we learn more about him through flashbacks and the present day, I found him increasingly endearing.
This show could be done with little to no lighting, sound or costumes, but they certainly add an extra dimension here that sends the comedy over the top. A subtle lighting change, matched with Grease’s facial expressions, is priceless. If the audience wasn’t all laughing in unison, we were taking turns cackling extra loud at the subtleties that sent everyone over the edge at different points.
Funny, silly and wholesome, I have a feeling this won’t be the last we see of the great Grease Grillson.
I Am Grease Grillson is on at The Jonesway Theatre from Jan 29-31.