Fish Out Of Water Gap Play Analysis

A desperate travel agent faking his way through life tries to save his mother’s ranch in Australia by pretending that their family home is an exclusive resort for a potential wealthy investor.

STORY COMMENTS
DIRT CHEAP presents as a fun and entertaining comedy. The premise is considered high concept and one can easily imagine the script as a film. The eccentric characters feel genuine and they can make for good comedic characters that could attract talent.
The premise contains elements of a “fish out of water” and it also has a romantic subplot. The idea of a man pretending that his family’s home is actually an exclusive resort to convince a wealthy investor to invest in the ranch is a delightful setup for comedy, romance, conflict, and

This drives Chad to make a moral choice and he ends up telling a lie about his home being a resort, wonderfully driving the script forward.
It would be nice to have this moment a bit more highlighted, showcasing Chad’s visual expression when the idea occurs to him, or that when his mother texts, she says something with more subtext that plants the idea in his head. Maybe she uses a word that triggers the idea of a resort – she could be sarcastic and text him the red carpet is waiting for him or something about a resort or vacation (maybe she texts he deserves a vacation like everyone else) and the key words trigger the idea for Chad.
Act two escalates the tension with the threat of discovery of his deceit. The character of Nick does a good job of being suspicious and he intensifies the fear that Chad’s fraud will be discovered. He makes for a solid adversary.
It would benefit the script, however, to introduce all the supporting cast when Chad and the others arrive, including the constable, George, and Irene. Don’t just use them at the midpoint or end.
The romantic subplot nicely supports the main storyline. There’s sweet chemistry between Justine and Chad, although this has room for growth. One does root for them to be

For example, Nick learns the truth and he sees the constable. In the meantime, the other men are playing “two up.” Even maybe Kate is playing. Jerry’s having a great time, the constable and Nick head their way, then Jerry is excited as he wins, the constable and Nick storm the room where they are playing, and all together all hell breaks lose, as Nick tells Jerry the truth, as they are all arrested, and Ashley walks in, and Justine is jealous.
Also, if Ashley is going to be used, the idea of Ashley should be set up in the first act. Perhaps show Chad with Ashley in New York, and then it will be a nice surprise and twist when she shows up. This feels more realistic than the current execution. If ambitious, in the first act it could be set up that Chad uses Ashley as his “fake” girlfriend when he goes to various functions for the business or to pitch his resort.
All of this creates a stronger “all is lost moment” as the elements of Chad’s deceit collide: Nick discovers who Kate and Chad really are, Jerry claims he’s broke, Susan is devastated, Chad is devastated, Jerry is disappointed with Kate, Justine is jealous of Ashley, and then they are all arrested for gambling. In jail, Chad then explains why the resort is his dream. They get bailed out. The auction occurs and then Jerry buys the