OBSERVER: Don’t Get Carried Away
Roy Barker’s one man show, Don’t Get Carried Away, is a picaresque account of events in his life that led him to becoming a jobbing actor.
From his role in the primary school musical to work on advertisements and plays, Barker’s account, though linear in its narrative style, maintains a disarming charm given his delight at scoring roles he thought were out of his reach.
The piece serves more as a family history of coming to Australia as a10-pound pom, going to school in Doveton, becoming an apprentice printer to scoring acting gigs.
As such, this work serves as a reminiscence that would delight Barker’s grandchildren relating, as it does,to episodes in his life’s journey.
There is no real character development or story arc to the piece. Through it all, Barker maintains his surprise and enjoyment at having the opportunity to take part in the craft of performing.
There isn’t a vast repertoire of performance skills on display or any particular insight into the emotional challenges. Barker merely documents episodes of how he came to pursue what was, after years in the printing industry, his life’s passion.
Director, Clare Pickering, has done her best to allow Barker to utilise all of the small stage in the Butterfly Club, with the occasional change of costume or attempt to engage directly with the audience providing a little variety.
The work, as such, serves as a passion piece more than anything else – and good luck to him.
Review by David McLean