Curtain Up was written by award winning Peter Quilter and based on his earlier work ‘Respecting Your Piers’. Set in a run-down, derelict theatre, five women come together as equal beneficiaries of Michael’s will. It takes us through the challenges of mourning, broken relationships, hope and eventual healing.
Linda (Linda Lawson) is the bitter ex-wife who has been left for a younger, slimmer, prettier model in her eyes and plays the role with just the right amount of loathing. Julie (Dora Stamos) is the bereaved daughter caught in the middle between her Mother and the woman her father left to marry. Karen (Shelley Pontiac) is the Other Wife. This role could so easily have slipped into the realm of tit for tat but was played with a turn the other cheek attitude and became a restorative experience. Sharon (Brooke Dubois) was an absolute breath of fresh air as the best friend who just happens to be a gothic punk, and has lots of energy, and many shades of hair colour, and lots of energy, and many wacky ideas, and lots of energy, and has a very shady boyfriend, and lots of energy – you get the picture. Finally to round out the main cast we have Betty (Amanda Sharp) the mother-in-law everyone really must have. If Betty were to have her own stage production I believe there should be a warning posted at the start of the show. The things that occurred behind the main action were so right and hilariously funny for this character it was scary.
The additional cast of Vanessa Ricks, Dawn Ross and Annette Serbert to assist with the scene changes and increase the aerobics classes where humorous and again prove that theatre should be available to all to show their talent.
Direction by Myles Leon was tight and well thought out so as cast never upstaged one another. Lighting and sound were a little late on occasion but given the change to opening night, having to set up as soon as Taekwondo class has finished and the lack of rehearsal time that techies always seem to suffer from regardless of what show they are doing, it will only get better.
Congratulations to Blackwood Players for a wonderful night’s entertainment. It was certainly worth the trip for this northern living reviewer.
