Turkey, Trifle & Toxic Masculinity
In 2020, Territory muso David Garnham's side project The Choir of Man began a series of hugely popular Christmas shows, singing classic and contemporary carols to the delight of many.
The success of those performances gave Garnham the idea to create a Christmas themed musical.
By Kate Conway
Well, come all ye faithful, as Brown’s Mart Theatre presents The Full Spread, a Territory Christmas story three years in the making and Garnham’s first foray into the world of theatre.
While the move may seem unexpected for fans of the self-confessed “three chord cowboy”, for Garnham, writing the play was a natural progression of his passion for storytelling.
“Even though I am a musician, I consider myself more of a songwriter. I have always been a words man – before I started writing songs I was a budding poet,” he says.
“For a time as a young man, I wanted to be a writer… so it’s something that I have always enjoyed. But I tell you what, there are a lot more words in a play than there are in a three-minute pop song!”
The Full Spread follows the story of Gus, a man who loves Christmas, as he endeavours to prepare a Christmas feast with all the trimmings for his family, striving to be a good man whilst navigating the ‘boys club’ mentality of his workplace. Garnham says the preconceived notion of how men are expected to express themselves is a central theme of the play.
“At the heart of it it’s about toxic masculinity. I see it as a cartoon character, the way some men feel like they have to behave. So, ultimately, it is shining a light on that.”
Featuring bloke-y angels (aka The Choir of Man) popping up throughout the play, similarly to a Greek chorus in a Greek tragedy, The Full Spread delivers a topical subject matter coupled with the festivity of Christmas in a way that doesn’t take itself too seriously. All the while entertaining audiences with the quality Garnham’s song writing is known for.
“We all know these characters. Everyone has had a horrible boss, and in the play, there are people that struggle with Christmas and people that love Christmas. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you would still get a very entertaining show and be able to enjoy it. It’s funny, with heart.”
The Full Spread
WHEN TUE 6 DEC–SAT 10 DEC, 7PM FRI 9 DEC & SAT 10 DEC, 9.30PM SUN 11 DEC, 5PM
AT BROWN’S MART THEATRE
COST $30 | $20 CONC
INFO brownsmart.com.au
Photos: Charlie Bliss
