The Motor Camp at Circa TheatreTwo families take their caravans to The Windmill Motor Camp for the summer holidays. University lecturers, Frank (Tim Spite) and Jude (Danielle Mason) Redmond, along with their daughter Holly (Florence Mulheron) set up next to building contractor Mike Hislop (Phil Vaughan), his wife (?) Dawn Tairoa (Olivia Violet Robinson) and her son Jared (Antony Young). Frank is focused on writing a book so he doesn’t lose his job, Jude wants to relax and read her book, Holly is gutted she is not with her friends, Mike helps out at the camp in between fishing trips, Dawn is enjoying ‘cooking’ despite worrying about the business, and Jared is doing whatever young men do while camping with their parents.

There are plenty of references to sex in this play. Getting it, not getting it, euphemisms for it, practical applications of descriptions of it and so forth. (The set caravans are pretty sturdy!) Spite and Vaughan play their roles broadly while the rest of the cast is more restrained. The audience (an early Wednesday night crowd) found it hysterical and were laughing uproariously from the start.

There’s some clever writing but ultimately it didn’t work for me. I wanted more contrast between words and actions, and some kind of retributive pay off for character attitudes in the first half. I’m not sure whether it’s an issue that comes from the script or the direction but something just didn’t work for me.

  • The return season of The Motor Camp on at Circa Theatre to 18 February.