Mixed bouquet of plays offered by CDS
About the article
This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from June 1993.
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This quotation, taken from the Cayman Drama Society production of "Mixed Doubles", paints an hilarious, yet dismal picture of marriage, as did the play. The show was a medley of eight ten-minute sketches and a monologue, which focused on the trials and tribulations of being married.
Showcasing both well-known talent and some new faces, the CDS performance was both entertaining and amusing. There were, however, some moments which lagged.
The skits began with a monologue by a vicar pronouncing a couple "man and wife", and ended with a dialogue between an elderly couple who have spent their lives together. Each sketch was written by a different playwright, and the list included such well-respected artists as Harold Pinter.
Although the show was enjoyed by all who saw it, and boasted large audiences during the last two weeks of production, technically there were a few aspects of it that could have been better.
The acting was of a high amateur standard and should be commended.
Performances that particularly stood out included Tony Rowlands and Penny Phillips, both familiar faces on the CDS stage, who brought to life The Wife and The Husband in Alan Ayckbourn's "Countdown", directed by Sue Horrocks. Both actors have excellent comic timing and are a delight to watch.
Also impressive were Phil Lines (The Man in "Norma") and Derek Tyler (The Old Man in "Resting Place"). These two are not often seen on stage, but should be encouraged to perform more.
Other talented players involved were Roland Stacey, Sue Horrocks, Gabrielle Wheaton, Jean Jackson, Peter Riley, Orchid Y. Morrison, Brynmor P. Martin, Rosemary Hansbury, Kevin O'Riordon, Vanessa Radford, Phil Thomas, Jacqueline Caunt and Dave Bridgeman.
Unfortunately, despite good acting, the performances sometimes lagged in energy, with no motivation behind many of the movements. Harold Pinter once said that an actor should not move unless his character has a motivation to do so. Thus, a role becomes believable to the audience. In both "Norma" and "Silver Wedding" there were actions with seemingly no reasons behind them.
On the other hand, sometimes the director did not take the skit to the furthest point it could go. For example, in "A Man's Best Friend" it was difficult to understand how these two seemingly distant people could be as in love as newlyweds normally are. Perhaps Jackie could have been more flirtacious at the start, allowing the piece to rise as she got more and more agitated with his apparent nervousness. The make-up by Marilyn Osborne should definitely be praised. In "Resting Place" Derek Tyler was barely recognizable as he truly had become the sweet Old Man he portrayed.
The sets for each skit were simple (except for "Silver Wedding" which was much more elaborate) and effective. One particularly interesting design was for "Permanence", in which the spotlight on the action formed the outlines of the small tent the characters were supposed to be in.
As William Shenstone, an English poet, once said: "The profession of the player, like that of the painter, is one of the imitative arts, whose means are pleasure, and whose end should be virtue." Over all, the Cayman Drama Society should be congratulated for fulfilling both.
