DRAYTON – The title of the latest show at the Drayton Festival Theatre is intriguing enough, and the concept is even better.
Imagine a radio station losing its programming, forcing two staffers to improvise on-air entertainment for 24 hours during a blizzard.
Naked Radio is a musical, but not in the typical way. And it’s definitely a comedy.
Bart is the disc jockey at WHLO, where his father and grandfather both worked as DJs too. But Bart has been replaced by “the box”, a canned feed sent by corporate to save money.
He’s reduced to local sports and weather updates, and making sure “the box” keeps working, and he’s not happy about that.
But just as new employee Mike arrives, filled with big ideas and DJ ambition, a blizzard also arrives.
As Bart explains to Mike that there are no DJing skills required, “the box” stops working, as does the internet, leaving Bart and Mike to fill the dead air.
Without a stash of music to play or a Spotify account to access, they find an old turntable and one record, The Possum Trot.
The song becomes the thing they rely on when they’re trying to think of something else to do on air, and yes, it will be the earworm on your drive home.
Bart and Mike are played by Jeff Culbert and Kaden Forsberg, a gifted duo who banter naturally and display a plethora of talents. Whether running an on-air swap meet, telling dad jokes, improvising ad jingles, or taking callers for an advice session, Culbert and Forsberg are the perfect team.
Then there’s the live music they provide; Mike finds an old trunk with musical instruments, which they put to good use. Guitar, banjo, mandolin, and more – that is one magical trunk of surprises.
But the biggest treat is Jennifer Walls, who plays Maggie, Bart’s new girlfriend. She calls the station regularly to provide ideas, keep them in the loop on the storm, and nurture their burgeoning relationship.
And all those people who call in to the radio? They’re all played by Walls, who does an amazing job of switching her voice and adding quick-change accessories to become a dozen different characters, including an elderly woman reminiscing about radio’s good ol’ days, a snarky teen boy, a Dr. Who fanatic, and an enthusiastic township employee providing road updates.
So what’s with the title, Naked Radio? What does it mean and is someone actually naked? Well, you’ll have to come to the show to find out.
Directed by Mark DuMez, Naked Radio has various afternoon and evening shows at the Drayton Festival Theatre until Aug. 25. Call the box office at 519-747-7788 or toll-free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866) or visit draytonentertainment.com.