Second Samuel

Production : Second Samuel Director: Susan Hayward Venue: Subiaco Arts Centre Date Seen: 29th April 2010 Every so often a play comes along, that makes you laugh, cry, and think. Second Samuel is that sort of play. Set in the late 1940's in the fictional town of Second Samuel, Georgia in the USA, the play examines the themes of prejudice and intolerance towards people that are considered "different". Unlike many plays with an underlying message, the message is not delivered in a preachy manner, but delivered with just the right mix of humour, pathos and drama to get its message across. I thoroughly enjoyed this production, it is a quirky piece of theatre, that breaks all the rules, but works anyway. I thought the set was very cleverly thought out, not a traditional box set but three distinct areas, cleverly dressed but not overly so, but giving an authentic feel of the period. The costumes were very effective, as well as the hairstyles and makeup, it was clear the period had been researched well. As an ensemble work the cast delivered a very polished and slick performance, that was a joy to watch, the play unfolded very naturally and simply. Not only great ensemble work, but also great physical casting, no sore thumbs here! The lighting was also very effective, a couple of hiccups that one would expect of a preview, but as the strength of the show was so good, in my opinion it really didn't matter, I was enjoying the show too much to really care, the performance overall was even and very well paced. It is rare to see a show that has great character roles for all the cast to play, and with the great ensemble work, I forgot that these people were actors, because I became so engaged with the play. Tyler Jones gave a show - stopping performance as B Flat; as the narrator of the piece, he had a great sense of the playwright's work, this role drives the play and Tyler gave a masterful portrayal. US, played by Nat Martin, was simply superb, a gentle understated performance that suited both the character and the text beautifully. Frisky, performed by Chris Juckes, was another great performance, played with great affection and and humour. Mansel was a great piece of comic acting, I say comic acting because as most of Raul Torres Jr's scenes and dialogue were humourous, the role being the butt of other characters ribbing, he still managed to carry off the more "straight" aspects with equal aplomb, no mean feat for a lesser character in the story, often smaller roles are cast by less experienced performers, oft to play's detriment, but this was not the case here. I loved Ray Egan's Mr Mozel, the town curmudgeon, absolutely hilarious work, again a lesser role played with equal dexterity to that of the lead actors. In terms of difficulty, I think Bev Lawrence's character Omaha had the finest line to tread between drama and comedy of all of the cast, and it is a testament to her ability as an actor that she was able to carry it off, this was a well crafted performance. The uptight, bigoted Jimmy Deanne was played to the hilt by Breeahn Jones, I loved her costume, her makeup, her attitude and facial expressions, obviously comic, but not at the expense of the more dramatic aspects of the text, another accomplished portrayal. Elizabeth Jansen's Ruby performed a delightful cameo as the timid, mousey afraid-of-her-own-shadow employee of Omaha, that made the scene where she whacks Jimmy Deanne about the head with a rolled up magazine, even funnier, a great supporting character performance. The part of Marcella was just simply brilliant work from Nicole George, she looked, spoke, moved and reacted so effortlessly it was a pleasure to just watch and take in everything she did and said, she has a great stage presence. Kevin Langoulant's Doc, was another well performed cameo, humourous or poignant aspects of the character in the text being handled with great dexterity. I loved Phil Lord as June, the town undertaker, the scene where he and the character of Omaha were switching between the bar and the beauty salon at a poignant moment in the play was well timed and crafted and was another example of a well cast lesser role in the production. This is a funny, sad and thoughtful text, skilfully steered by Director Sue Hayward, and kudos to her and the cast and crew for presenting this unique, thought provoking and very charming text to life. This production deserves an audience, I highly recommend that you see this finely crafted play, it is a rare and touchingly humourous work of art. Don't miss it, its a gem. Bookings with BOCS on 9484 1133, I beleive there is a discount ticket offer mentioned on this site also. R. :)