Tanya Batson-Savage, Freelance Writer
Beverly (Trudy Campbell, left), the go-go dancer, chats with Marquis (Rodney Campbell), the upcoming musician, and his wife Sheila (Mitzie Pratt), in a scene from Pablo Hoilett and Anthony Wisdom's play 'A Song For You', playing at the Pantry Playhouse, Dumfries Road, New Kingston. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
A QUICK glance through the programme of A Song For You reveals the prevailing theme of this play, currently running at The Pantry Playhouse. At the bottom of the first page it reads, 'Persons interested in sex toys please contact catgirl55@hotmail.com".
A Song For You is not about sex toys though, it positions itself as a 'romantic comedy'. It would more accurately be described as a 'sexual comedy' because more than half of the play is spent talking about sex or engaged in sexual play, but romance is really nowhere to be seen.
So, the adult content label is to be taken seriously, as a mother who had to try to cover her young son's eyes quickly found out.
Written by Anthony Wisdom and directed by Pablo Hoilett, A Song For You is a four-hander featuring Rodney Campbell (Marquis), Mitzie Pratt (Sheila), Christopher Taylor (Ramon) and Trudy Campbell (Beverly). The play is something of a Dancehall Queen from the other side of the fence.
On Saturday night, after starting approximately half-an-hour late, the production turned out to be reasonably amusing though it appeals more to those who like their comedy light. Indeed, the script has greater comedic potential than Saturday's performance suggested, as more than a few punch lines were badly delivered by the cast.
CHARACTERS UNI-DIMENSIONAL
Furthermore, the characters are uni-dimensional and that is the most disappointing thing about A Song For You - its depictions of Marquis and Sheila. Marquis is too typical of our impressions of the Jamaican man to be interesting.
He is a musician on the cusp of greatness, which means he has to spend long stretches of time away from his wife. Campbell turns in a decent performance and greatly adds to the comic element of the production. Yet his attempts at rendering Marquis' performance style as comedy are rather ludicrous, regrettable moments, and the first one, which opens the play, has no real bearing on the play.
Sheila, on the other hand, well-played by Mitzie Pratt, is feeling lonely and dejected due to her husband's long absences and as a result takes up with the demented Cuban Ramon. Interestingly, though Sheila spends much more time on stage, the play gives a better view of Marquis as he gets to explain how he feels about her and women while Sheila's stance is never clear.
Disturbingly, the play seems to think it is giving a progressive view of women, and it could almost be mistaken for doing so, as Sheila wishes to explore the dancehall world. Yet her wish to explore has nothing to do with sexual liberation. Furthermore, Marquis never truly attempts to understand her view point and worse yet, the writer does not allow her to fully articulate it. As such, she seems dissatisfied but quickly settles for domesticity, though Marquis does not commit to spending more time with her.
Beverly and Ramon are largely in the production as distractions. Beverly, as a go-go dancer, brings sex along with her, while Ramon presents some comic relief. Both characters are flat stereotypical renditions.
A Song For You required for locations which are particularly taxing on the Pantry stage and Michael Lorde's set design almost managed to pull it off. However, there was not sufficient allowance for distinction from one setting to the next so that the main setting, the living room, constantly interfered with the others.
Of course, if one is only looking for some light, sex-related jokes then this could be the play for you.
