Welcome to a ‘Swell’ time
“I’d Like a Job Please” follows Sarah Snelson, a recent graduate, on her hunt for a job. After an uninspiring start, her recruiter ex-Navy Tracey Pavement gets her a sales role at “Swell”, where all is not what it seems. We follow Sarah as she discovers more about the company, clashes with her manager Gracie-Mae, and has her mum Sue insist she goes on the company retreat. On top of this, her wealthy friend Gisella seems to have an easier time of things, choosing to go art school to become a performance artist, and her mum has been listening to Jack MacBlane, the latest ‘bro’ podcaster.
Highly relatable to anyone joining the job market, the story is told over 18 or so short scenes, with various roles played by the seven-strong cast.
Gracie Mae’s frequent mangling of phrases was highly comical (“clairbouyant” was a favourite), and the satirical take on Jamie’s podcast was acutely observed. There were a few musical numbers which sat surprisingly well, and a couple of fantastic fever dream sequences too, as Sarah wrestled with her concious.
Although enjoyable, the script would have benefited from a great deal more editing. Squeezing 18 different scenes in a 1hr window, each with a blackout and scenery shifting, naturally lead to the show over-running, and a handful of audience members had to leave before the end. In most situations, overrunning isn’t too much of a big deal, but at the Fringe where there’s always another show to get to, it’s a bigger factor. Introducing the posh mummies, for example, could have been kept to a reference, as they weren’t the strongest aspect of the narrative arc. Similarly, the side arc of Alan Stubbs, wannabe comedian, was a fun addition, but could have been better incorporated into the main arc.
For up and coming performers, this was a fun show, and clearly a talented cast. With a bit of a tighter edit, and stronger direction, this has potential to be a great show.