(Carrick Keating as
Benny Southstreet; Pierre Parrot as Nicely-Nicely Johnson & Murray Clark as
Rusty Charlie)
A dazzling,
rollicking, all-action, feel-good production. (Review by Keith Millar)
It is always a stimulating
experience to attend a production at the Roy Couzens Theatre at Westville Boys
High School. One can be assured that the school’s Director of Cultural
Affairs, Luke Holder, will dish up something vigorous, fresh and highly
entertaining - and that the cream of Westville’s considerable pool of young performing
talent will be on display.
Well - the school’s
latest offering, the popular musical Guys
and Dolls, is certainly no exception. It is a dazzling, rollicking, all-action,
feel-good production which delights and entertains from beginning to end.
Every aspect of
this show, from the direction to the costumes, choreography, the sets,
lighting, sound, the 14 piece band, and the performances themselves is out of
the top drawer. The result is a production of significant quality which would
not be out of place on a professional stage.
Guys and Dolls is essentially a love story with music and
lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based
on the wonderful stories and characters created by the iconic American author
Damon Runyon. Veteran Durban actor and comedian Frank Graham describes Runyon
as America’s version of Herman Charles Bosman. That is definitely a very apt
comparison.
Runyon created
quintessential New York characters of the 1940’s, from small-time gamblers to
hustlers, actors, show girls, drunks, street vendors and gangsters. All of
these are represented in Guys and Dolls
along with the do-gooders from Save-A-Soul Mission.
They are wonderful,
larger than life, comic characters which are played with glee and elation by
the large cast from Westville Boys High and neighbouring girls schools. The
overall standard of performance is so high that I wish I could list all the
names. However, space will not allow this so I will chose three stand-out
performances to represent the rest of cast.
Mason Campbell as
Arvide Abernathy, the elderly bass drummer from the Mission Band, is hilarious
as he stumbles about under the weight of his drum. Pierre Parrot as
Nicely-Nicely Johnson portrays his nutty character to perfection. He is
eccentric, funny and beautifully over the top.
Showgirl Miss
Adelaide is played by Jaime Montgomery. This young lady, a Grade 11 pupil from
Westville Girls High School, puts in a sublime performance of considerable
skill and talent. Her timing is impeccable and she creates a lovable and
multi-faceted character. Her diction is excellent and her accent never slips. Montgomery
is a rare talent and one to look out for in the future.
The entire
Production Team for this show deserves special mention. The costumes are
beautifully authentic and the choreography by Fiona Barnes is quite superb,
while the 14-piece band assembled by Brett Alborough is fabulous. The lighting
by Michael Broderick is excellent while the complex sound design by Megan Levy
is brilliant and faultless.
However, the man
who deserves very special kudos is the director/musical director/designer of
the production, Luke Holder. His work is always very special, but on this
occasion he surpasses himself. His ensemble pieces, and the bits of action he
has going on throughout the production, are an absolute delight. This man would
make a substantial impact on the professional stage, but to his great credit he
chooses, for now, to teach and develop young talent.
It is a great pity,
given the amount of work put into it, and the inspired quality of the production
that Guys and Dolls does not enjoy a
longer run. It can be seen at Westville Boys High School until August 8.
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