Peter Abrikian, Gleaner Writer

Members of the LTM National Pantomime, 'Howzzat!' are in a dress rehearsal, held at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Avenue, last Tuesday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

On Boxing Day, as it has done every year for the last 66 years, the Little Theatre Movement (LTM) opened its annual pantomime.

This year's Howzatt is a story of love lost and found, a trickster bested and friendly rivalries, all woven against a background of cricket, lovely cricket. A talented collection of souls combine to create a theatrical piece chock-full of great acting, excellent music, visual excitement, decent directing and pleasing movement which was - ultimately - boring.

Barbara Gloudon's script drags through the first few scenes and only marginally improves by the welcome end of the two-and-a-half-hour run. The 'world village cricket' premise did not seem to be verdant material from which to harvest a masterpiece; perhaps the game is better left on the field.

However, in a slow wade through the molasses of Howzatt, pockets of delightfulness are to be found. The company is clearly rife with the ability necessary to take on this oh-so-difficult genre that is musical theatre. Accolades are to be heaped upon the leading thespians, especially 'Mamma Bling' (Jacqueline Higgins), a 'gully bank' area-leader-turned-politician. Her vivacity in the embodiment of a role all Jamaicans can relate to is a welcome splash of freshness each time she takes the stage. Indeed, there was little fault to find in LTM's actors and actresses; they did a solid job with the weak material given them.

Originality and peppiness

Astley 'Grub' Cooper and his musical team are to be commended on the originality and peppiness of many, but not all, of their scores. The song of food in the Better Belly Buss scene, in particular, will have the audience yearning for more as the final notes die away. The catchiness of You Wrong Fe Send Come Call We will also remain in the mind of the audience long after all else is forgotten.

George Howard and Professor Rex Nettleford guided the company through a rich array of unique movement choices. The opening number, unfortunately, is the most entertaining of these and builds exciting expectations, which are almost, but not quite, met by the ensuing pieces.

The set of Michael Lord and Kirk Nunes also deserves honourable mention, as they switch effortlessly from cricket pitch to lush Tall Grass. Their beautiful flora is masterfully done.

All that being said, the show is still boring. Loose ends remain loose, the love interests seem contrived and unnatural, and 'khaki dog' - although Ray Jarret assumes Te-RRR-iffic physicality, believingly portraying a mystical, hybrid man-dog (or 'duppy dog' as the world of Howzatt refers to him) - feels forced into an already overburdened script. The salvaging efforts of the company only succeed in achieving a less than mediocre experience.

This whole is far less than the sum of its parts.