A musical about the seedy underbelly of Kings Cross gentleman’s clubs – now why hasn’t this been written already? Experienced theatre, film and television writer Nicholas Parsons has teamed up with composer Heinz Schweers to make this premise a reality, with A Nasty Piece of Work at the New Theatre. The Barley Sugar Men’s Club is run by the stalwart Pearl, who regards her working girls as family and loves what she does. With a clued-up teenage daughter at home and whilst negotiating between the slimy rival club owner McNeil (Mac) and Front End the detective, Pearl has a new problem on her hands. Boris Barsky, or The Bastard as he is known around town, has arrived on the scene and wants in on her business. A Nasty Piece of Work is billed as “A hilarious new Australian musical,” though unfortunately it doesn’t quite present as this on the whole.

There is certainly much to like about A Nasty Piece of Work. Morgan David’s Mac oozes underhanded charm and is magnetic to watch. Barbara Hasting’s Pearl, the Madame of the Gentleman’s club, is unfaltering and has a truly magnificent voice. I loved that the dialogue scenes between the musical numbers were played so naturally, rather than resorting to melodramatic performances. Brionny Fagan is very strong as Pearl’s daughter and Mac’s love interest, Josie. Lynden Jones’ Detective character ‘Front End’ could have descended into noir-farce, but he handles his role with a gentle power that is wonderful to watch. Heinz Schweers’ music (he also conducts) is generally very good, though often lacks any kind of punch necessary to parallel the action of the plot. The ballad ‘Love Never Dies’ is schmaltzy romance at its most cliche, but has a melody that is still lingering with me. The cast itself is not completely comprised of outstanding voices, but when singing as an ensemble they are strong indeed. Parson’s lyrics show tender and humorous appeal, and there are some very good recurring metaphors, especially the idea that the characters are not necessarily bad, they just have a ‘stain’ on their hearts that can’t be removed.

The first act, running at just over 90 minutes, felt complete in terms of plot and ended on a triumphant version of the opening act. There were no ends left untied, and the audience around me prepared for the curtain call. There was a general reaction of surprise when the house lights came up for interval instead. We had been left with no hint of suspense or any cliffhangers. The character of Mac had agreed to go to prison and all seemed succintly wrapped. It seemed a strange placement of interval. The second act moved from a focus on the world of prostitution to life in prison. This certainly took on darker, interesting plot points, but I felt a deeper exploration of the prostitution ring would have proved more insightful. We get glimpses of this, in particular the song “How could I know?” from a young Russian girl who unwittingly has found herself in Kings Cross. This is poignant stuff, but unfortunately too quickly she is gone, having had her ‘moment.’  I wanted to see more of her than much else on stage.

A Nasty Piece of Work, still however, needs a bit of work. Annie Bilton’s direction shows glimmers of innovation, but largely leaves the actors with little to do onstage before they open their mouths to sing. Mitchell Lavender’s set design is a little incomprehensible in its intentions. Though I think the most significant issue is that the work doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be – a straight musical about the seedy underbelly of Kings Cross, or a tongue-in-cheek look at the world of prostitution and the characters that inhabit it. The majority of the action is played straight, with the exception of Morgan David’s Mac (try to imagine Jules Lund as a gangster and you get the picture). From the outset he takes the mickey out of himself and the musical, often speaking to the audience and referring to his own character’s archetype. This itself is very funny and it works. Unfortunately for David, the rest of the cast seem not to have been given the same brief and it is as if they are performing in a different style altogether. As a serious musical, it doesn’t have enough power to affect us, but if tweaked, I think it could be an excellent farce.

In fact, in the final moments of the show, we suddenly have melodrama – three gun shots are fired and there is a massive revelation mid-chaos. Then, just as quickly, the hamming up begins, and it is hilarious. Now, finally, the audience is responding vocally. Finally we know we are meant to be laughing, and the whole musical falls down around the cast’s and our, ears. The actors immediately look like they’re having fun, and we run with them. Morgan David brilliantly steals the show after getting off his deathbed. Why this only happens with ten minutes to go is a real shame. I hope there is a reinvention of A Nasty Piece of Work, with a consistency of ‘tongue-in-cheek’ all the way through. The wonderful Emma Harris bookends the show, appearing as ‘Dero,’ and commenting on what the musical should be like. I think that if she had been used throughout the piece, controlling the direction and speaking with the audience all the way through, the entire musical would be clearer, stronger and funnier. 

There were a few technical and musical glitches on the night, as often expected with an opening night performance, and the cast would do well to be mic’ed. All in all, A Nasty Piece of Work has a very good premise and some endearing, deliberately stock-standard characters. The hooker with the heart of gold, the detective with something to hide, the mafia boss who just wants to shoot your knee-caps. A Nasty Piece of Work is entertaining theatre, it just needs to not take itself so seriously throughout.