Douglas Prout, who directs 'The Last Stand' which opens at the Fairfield Theatre in Montego Bay, St. James, on Saturday at 8:00 p.m., in his actor's role as Peter in 'Remember Me?'. - FILE
THEATRE IN the west will take a seriously hilarious turn tomorrow night when 'The Last Stand' opens at the Fairfield Theatre in Montego Bay, St. James.
The Patrick Brown written play earned nominations for 'Best New Jamaican Play' and 'Best Comedy' in the 2004 Actor Boy Awards.
The Sydney Reid production, with Douglas Prout handling directing duties, will feature a cast of experienced actors, all based in the west. The opening will be a special affair, in true Lions Club grand gala fashion, with cocktails at 7:00 p.m. before the curtains go up at 8:00 p.m. It plays at the Fairfield Theatre on Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. for a few weeks before the rest of the west gets a look at the production as it makes the trek across the region.
Tony Rodney, Garfield 'Movie Star' Reid, Davina Pinto and Nyanda Cammock make for an interesting team of players to present 'The Last Stand'.
It is not an unfamiliar tale of the 'love em and leave em' kind of fellow, with the frightening (for the men) and delicious (for the women) twist of the player being cornered by the 'playees', all of whom are very familiar with the exploits of a lady named Mrs. Bobbit.
PUBLIC REACTION
It is not all giggles, though, as serious issues about male-female relationships are addressed. And then there is the lingering thought: what would be the public reaction if a group of aggrieved women decided to make an example of one philandering male to send a message to men all over the world, to trim the rooster's comb, so to speak?
It is a thought that may just come to mind for Tony Ridney, who plays a central role in 'The Last Stand'. Well known by theatre-goers in western Jamaica, Rodney was most recently seen on stage as the rib-tickling home guard Sputnik in Hugh King's 'Undercover Lover', directed by Lloyd B. Smith. He stamped his class on many a retina as DJ Shatta Ranks in the award winning 'What The Hell is Happening to us Dear?' and tickled ribs in 2004 as he portrayed Richie in 'Ecstasy', playing the uptown executive torn between his family's expectations and his downtown love.
It has been a long road for the Clarendonian by birth who made his debut with 'Count Dracula' in MoBay in 1988. This time, though, it is his blood that is on Tony Rodney, as 'Woody', finds himself in chains and on trial. It is a very challenging role which takes a bold actor to attempt it. Saturday's gala opening will see if the bold will stand or fall.
