An outstanding
production and features a tour-de-force performance by James Cairns. (Review by
Keith Millar)
Shel Silverstein
was an American poet, singer-songwriter, cartoonist, screenwriter, and author of children's books.
Among his
considerable output was the epic one-act play written in classic iambic pentameter,
called The Devil and Billy Markham. It
is a study of the nature of good and evil in man, and was first published in
1979 by Playboy magazine.
The production was
brought to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown by the Contagious
Production Company. It features the excellent Johannesburg actor, James Cairns,
with direction by his regular collaborator, Jenine Collocott.
Cairns, who is acting
in three one-hander productions at the festival this year, is a festival
regular. He is also a regular winner of Ovation awards. The Devil & Billy Markham has already won an Ovation Award for
2017.
The Devil & Billy Markham is a raw, gritty story which is thoroughly
deserving of its 16+ age group rating.
Silverstein’s epic
poem details the odyssey of a down-and-out singer/songwriter, Billy Markham, and
his confrontation with the devil. In the story, he journeys to Hell and to
Heaven and then back again. He may have nothing in life, but there is no way Billy
Markham will turn down a game of dice – even if it is with the devil.
As the story
unfolds we meet some colourful characters which includes the dice playing
Devil, God as a pool hustler, Markham's agent Scuzzy Slezzo and, of course,
Billy Markham himself.
James Cairns puts
in a stellar performance in performing this one-hander. Not only does he create
all the characters but he does so using American deep south accents while
delivering the very descriptive, hour-long, rhyming script. It is a superb
effort and he pulls it off with considerable style and poise. I particularly
liked his interpretation of the rather camp devil.
Dramatic lighting along
with appropriate music are used for scene changes. Excerpts from Highway to Hell and Stairway to Heaven being two of them.
The Devil & Billy Markham is an outstanding production and features a
tour-de-force performance by James Cairns.
The final
performance of this production takes place today (Saturday July 8) at 11h30 in
Princess Alice Hall in Grahamstown.
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