A mordant, flawed Australian slapstick chronicles a small town through its murderous medieval festival

By Joseph Steinberg, Forrest Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, English & Literary Studies, The University of Western Australia

One of the gorier fates meted out in Patrick Marlborough’s revenge comedy is allotted to an unnamed journalist, a minor character who appears in only a single sentence. The journalist arrives at his untimely end after penning a profile of George Bodkin. Also known as “The Nutter King”, Bodkin is the third of five mad monarchs who reign year-round over the fictional small town of Bodkins Point.

Review: Nock Loose – Patrick Marlborough (Fremantle Press)

The Nutter King is irked by the piece, which implies he has flouted laws and human rights charters, so…

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