Bob’s Holiday Office Party
Reviewed by Socks Whitmore
Beverly Hills Playhouse
Through December 18.
It’s December in Los Angeles and ‘tis the season for LA’s self-proclaimed longest-running “holiday hit,” Bob’s Holiday Office Party. Written by Joe Keyes and Rob Elk, this outrageous comedy began as an “improvised romp” in 1995, and since then has made an appearance each year everywhere from the late Tamarind Theatre on Franklin Ave., to Atwater Village Theatre, to the Zephyr. This production marks the show’s first appearance at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and the 25th season of shenanigans starring insurance agent Bob Finhead and his eclectic mix of friends and clients. Every year, Bob gathers his fellow small-town white bread Americans for a holiday bash in his office, and every year, chaos seems to ensue.
The world of Bob’s Office Party reports a cult-like following that reaches even to the summer months, and the implication is a storied collection of inside jokes and running gags. A first-time audience member needn’t worry, however; the self-contained story that plays out is easy enough to follow with the introductions given. At times the show resembles a series of comedic sketches that share a cast of characters, billed together as two uncut hours of raunchy mayhem. Viewers be warned, this show is not “PC” in the slightest—everything is on the table for being used comedically, including recurring bits about religion, sobriety, and alcoholism as well as casual jokes about disability, racism, suicidality, weight loss, sexual assault, and pedophilia. This show is written by and for the liberal bourgeoisie to poke fun at themselves, so it’s not for everyone, but if you enjoy political humor, extreme parody, and slapstick, laughs are certainly in store.
Unfortunately, the overall flavor of the show is tainted by its inability to know when enough is enough. The experience resembles finding yourself inside an episode of The Office and having a laugh — until you realize that you can’t leave yet, and you’re really starting to want to. The humor toes the boundaries of acceptability throughout, but it takes a nosedive during one extended scene featuring the character of Carol (played by Chloe Taylor), who is described as “emotionally disturbed” and portrayed as cognitively disabled via the mockery of physical mannerisms. Carol demonstrates a panic attack response to being startled, so another character decides to make a game out of repeatedly throwing things at her while shouting “Don’t freak out!” Carol later performs a song for her husband on guitar that quickly turns into screeching and she is ushered out the door, never to make another appearance. This parodied representation of disabled individuals hasn’t aged well in the comedy’s 25 year history. Later, Taylor returns to the stage as Carol’s twin sister, Brandy the “town floozy,” whose entire character is little more than a gag about drunk, promiscuous women. This character commits sexual assault multiple times on stage and could frankly be removed from the story entirely with no adverse consequence, if not major improvement. The show as a whole is a good 30-minutes too long, and seems to go well over its listed 90-minute run time without intermission.
Unhinged comedy can be a lot of fun, and the actors of Bob’s can be commended for their dedication to absurdity. This reviewer hopes next year’s office party punches up more than down.
Beverly Hills Playhouse, 254 S Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills; Fridays & Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 7:30 p.m. www.onstage411.com/BHOP Running time: 90 min
