Le Sud

Magnifique! Le Sud had the audience in fits of laughter with its politically incorrect script. Though culturally challenging at times, the fast paced jokes provided a sense of comic relief that allowed everyone to laugh at themselves and come together at the end – a great New Zealand trait.
Le Sud is a comedy of characters and attitudes which leaves no aspect of our culture immune to some fun poking satire – pakeha and Maori, feminism and blokiness, sport, politics, the French and the English all experienced their fair share of hilarious jibes.
The contrasting dichotomy within the play between a socialist French government in the south (which holds the upper hand economically) and a centrist north, which is negotiating for cheaper power supplies, provides a revealing backdrop by which to explore the stereotypes, politics and cultural differences of our day.
Jokes were impressively current and topical, referring to such recent headlines as the MP expenses saga, Maori seats on the super city and the ACC reforms. However, the audience wasn’t required to be political junkies to really enjoy the lines.
Dave Armstrong wrote this play before the last election and his political hunches have proved eerily prescient. In the play the North Zealand coalition government was made up of figures from parties that look remarkably like the Maori, Act and National parties. Characters are recognisable as amalgams of well known politicians – was there a touch of Jim Bolger (and perhaps Fred Dagg) in Jim Peterson? I particularly enjoyed Gavin Rutherford’s acting of Jim Peterson and Heather O’Carroll as Dominique Le Bons.
Constant scene changes and role reversals keep the play scooting along and the audience on the edge of their seats. The personal and the political also become entwined by the end.
Le Sud is another bright patch on the vibrant patchwork quilt of the Tauranga Arts Festival.