Review: Horse Play: An Earnest One-Man Show Based on The Saddle Club at Melbourne Fringe

Review by Greg Gorton

Not to be mistaken for “Horseplay” (yes, that happened), Horse Play is Jett Bond’s one-man show which can be aptly and completely described as “large hairy man re-enacts the first episode of The Saddle Club all by himself”.

The title of this show is accurate. This really is an earnest performance where Bond looks to be having the time of his life while also veering as far away from any suggestion that he is doing a parody. This is a place to celebrate the importance of the show and what it did for exploring the relationships between the girls. There is love in this production, and it does make me want to rewatch at least that first episode, if I can find it.

Bond is on stage in flannel over a tee, and it wouldn’t be insane to picture him on a horse. It would be insane to picture him as a preteen girl. That is where the core of the show is. While sometimes forgetting lines, Bond never forgets the emotions, the “vibe”, the love. In fact, the only true “silliness” to the whole affair is the use of a rocking horse as substitute for a real one, and its use is sparing. There are some sound effects, mostly in service to the plot, though their use at other times made me wonder if more would have been better. There are also some quite clever lighting moments to highlight the melodramatic moments for the girls, some of which brought on great laughs from the audience.

This isn’t a show in which Bond explores modern relationships through these girls, finds new jokes or quips to add in, or even do some brilliant transformations between characters. It is simply a paraphrased telling of the first episode of the brilliant television show, and nothing more.

That was enough for most of the audience, and this might be all you need to rush to get tickets. But let me make myself clear: there is nothing else. For me, that was far from enough.

I’m not sure I could recommend this show to those who are not avid fans of The Saddle Club. I feel that it offered too little. On the other hand, it might be a nice late-night palette cleanser before your next day’s show, so don’t let this discourage anyone from catching it.

Image Supplied