The Quentin Dentin Show explores important issues in an eccentric and sometimes alarming manner, and you should see it for the sheer fun of such unconventionality alone
What begins as a domestic drama, albeit one that is a little stilted and takes a while to get going, swiftly takes a turn for the strange when the music begins to play. Through his various ‘therapies’, Quentin shows how we often have the wrong fantasies in trying to make ourselves “the you you always wanted to be”. Although he often speaks in gobbledegook, when he has a microphone in his hand Quentin’s lyrics really drive home his point and in many cases, reveal the darker subliminal messages of the play.
The live band were fantastic, contributing to the story in their attire and the drummer’s ‘ba-dum-tsh’ after a joke, not just playing their music in the corner of the stage. The guitar solo from Nicky Boiardi was especially notable, showing his character as an aide to Quentin’s performance, as well as his musical talent. The band also provided some of the show’s sound effects and these, for the most part, worked well, although some, played over the speakers, were a little out of synch with the action. The lighting however, was excellent in conveying the different fantasy worlds and Quentin’s emerging from the radio, as was the use of the sofa to make a rocket for going to space; a minimal set, but very effective.
With regards to the script, it was certainly clever but at times I felt that some of the jokes were being played for laughs that were not forthcoming; I hope this will change as the show gains a bigger audience. Although Quentin’s development and that of the musical as a whole was something I anticipated, it did not make it any less entertaining. The Quentin Dentin Show explores important issues in an eccentric and sometimes alarming manner, and you should see it for the sheer fun of such unconventionality alone - either that, or for the Brain Machine. Now that was eccentric and alarming.
