Paul Michael Davies

Breaking Up In Balwyn Paul Michael Davies

The world's first "floating play" is an account of a divorce party which takes place aboard the MV Yarra Princess, flagship of Yarra River Cruises fleet, as she makes her serene and regal way along the Yarra River from Princes Bridge in the heart of Melbourne's CBD, to a landing four kilometers upstream in the very eastern suburb of Toorak - just opposite Herring Island and adjacent to Como Park; one of Melbourne's wealthiest areas. Here an interval occurs where refreshments are served by Lurlene Fowler, the specially hired Greek "French maid", who is assisted by Samantha's mummy's butler, Kurt. Afterwards the second half of the play unfolds as the MV Yarra Princess sails back to the City. The party is the result of Samantha Hart-Byrne's decision to invite 90 or so of her very bestest friends to help her celebrate her divorce from ex-husband Michael; and to introduce them to her new partner Nigel Davidson, a filmmaker from Sydney. Samantha's hydrotherapist Dr. Tamsin Smythe approves of the party as a way of helping Samantha overcome a debilitating mental condition: namely her complete inability to remember anything about her wedding to Michael. Along the way various events conspire to undermine Samantha's happy occasion including the arrival of Michael disguised as a gorillagram. At half time, Lurlene Fowler is left behind and the boat is soon raided by members of the Tax Squad, looking for evidence of fraud amongst this well heeled gathering. Lurlene however, soon returns in a hastily requisitioned rubber dingy and is full of high dudgeon at her abandonment. At this point Michael is finally exposed by the police for the fraudster that he is and decides to take matters into his own hands. He pulls a gun and dispatches his nemesis (in the form of Senior Sergeant Lance Tippler) off into the rubber raft handcuffed to Lurlene. And in a final act of desperation, Michael marries Lance's assistant, Constable Cathy Waterman (a case of love at first sight) and makes off with her into the night.