2013 Drama Desk Award for Best Play
Overview
Barbra Streisand has a shopping mall in the basement of her mansion so she can shop to her heart’s content, without leaving the comfortable security of her home. That is a true story. The tale of Alex getting a job there and the unlikely friendship that blossoms between the pair may be fiction, but it’s not impossible.
It should be a dream job, working for one of Hollywood’s most revered stars. But as Alex settles into his new role, he finds himself torn between the mesmerising glamour of his eccentric employer, and the toll his brush with Babs takes on his personal relationships.
A one-man tour-de-force, Jonathan Tolins’ award-winning comedy about hero worship and celebrity is poignant, classy and full of laughs – just like the Funny Girl herself.
by arrangement with Hal Leonard Australia Pty Ltd, on behalf of Dramatists Play service, Inc
Reviews
★★★★ The Sunday Telegraph
“…fizzingly funny storytelling … Gerrard's comic touch is excellent and his grasp of the material tight. His flicking between characters – the sparky Alex, the incredulous Barry, Streisand's partner James Brolin, and "Babs" herself – is extremely deft…Gerrard's energy, acting chops and charm carry the day.” SMH
“Tolins’… riotously funny play … reveals another layer of reality – and surreality – and … becomes genuinely touching. Ben Gerrard is a gifted performer and in this delightfully dotty, fascinating piece he is magic. Totally recommended.” Stage Noise
“This is such an uproariously funny production that your only problem might be laughing too loudly." Australian Stage
"Buyer and Cellar is ... laugh-out-loud funny." Time Out
“Talented, charismatic stage and screen performer Ben Gerrard gives a very fine and believable performance. Recommended. A clever title, and an even smarter play.” Sydney Arts Guide
“The play is witty, very creatively conceived….actor Ben Gerrard is sensational in the show. For 90 minutes, he is bewitching, so precise and energetic, that we all find ourselves hopelessly immersed in the story… it is for certain that we emerge thoroughly, and fabulously, entertained. His partnership with director Susanna Dowling, is clearly a match made in heaven. Design is marvellous…Alexander Berlage’s lights and Marty Jamieson’s sounds are particularly effective, as we find ourselves transported to a Hollywood dreamland.” Suzy Goes See
"Buyer and Cellar is funny and charming. Sit back and enjoy.” On The Town
“Tolins has written one of the funniest plays to emerge from the US this decade. Ben Gerrard as Alex is a wonderful guide to this strange and unusual world: a compelling storyteller who reaches out to the audience in a generous way. He has great comedic timing.” Daily Review
"...dazzling, contemporary and entertaining...It’s a winner!...This is the reality of theatre at its most poignant and responsible."" The Culture Concept
“Ben Gerrard takes on this production with great elan ... For a fun evening in the theatre, BUYER AND CELLAR is recommended. If you want to watch an actor with a sensibility of great modesty conjuring a performance of some magic, it is highly recommended.” Kevin Jackson's Theatre Diary
"Buyer and Cellar is a wonderful night out, with lots of laughs and cleverness to keep theatre devotees enthralled." Lisa Thatcher
"... a hilarious one-man tour de force where Gerrard plays five characters: the glamorous, mysterious Barbra, her husband, the shop attendant (who gradually warms to the legendary actress, then, like everyone else, falls for her), his boyfriend (also enamoured with Barbra) and Barbra’s lady in waiting. The 90-minute play’s ups, downs and roundabouts keep the audience belted into a rollercoaster of emotions, each act played by Gerrard bursting at the seams with human coping mechanisms and the things that take us up and bring us down: arrogance, frailty, insecurity, love, jealousy and the idea that we all, whether we’re Barbra or not, find it hard to let go of the past, and the many ‘things’ that we convince ourselves make us who we are." Publishing byChelle
Cast & Creatives

Jonathan Tolins
Playwright

Susanna Dowling
Director

Francesca Savige
Assistant Director

Ben Gerrard
Cast - Alex

Charles Davis
Designer

Alexander Berlage
Lighting Designer

Marty Jamieson
Sound Designer

Rebecca Poulter
Stage Manager

Renata Beslik
Wardrobe Coordinator