The Tea Tree Players’ Youth Production of Pat Cook’s “Who’s Dying to be a Millionaire?” is an ideal showcase for its large cast of young players. Some twenty two cast members enter, exit and/or inhabit the small TTP stage together during a frenetic ninety minutes of farcical activity. In brief, a big money quiz show is being targeted by a serial killer. The result, apart from three deaths, is a spectacular rise in the shows ratings. The motive? Well, as usual you need to follow the money! The perpetrator? Well, as usual you can take your pick! Directorial duo Georgina Giessauf and Kristyn Barnes have both been here before. They were both cast members of the Players’ 2016 production. They do a sterling job of shuffling the large cast “deck” of players on, in and around the stage during the ludicrous set of circumstances. They are well aided and abetted by the TTP’s faithful and supportive production machine.
It was a challenge to keep up with the bewildering array of characters constantly rushing on and off the stage, and I cannot name them all. I was, however, drawn to the principal player in this piece, the “Host with the Most” Reginald Smarmy. In this plum role Joel Strauss didn’t miss a single opportunity. As the name implies he was both Showman and “Snake Oil Salesman” rolled into one and he inhabited his character with professional ease. His vocal output was colourfully brash and he fronts his audience with the lashings of over confidence one expects from a good side-show spruiker. For a young actor his timing and waiting for the lighting cues was spot on. There is more stage work awaiting him on the horizon I’m sure.
Melanie Filmer made the most of her role as Clovis the TV Floor Director. She used the stage intelligently and projected her well drawn character with notable assurance and a strong voice. Maggie Phillips was equally assured in the role as local reporter Pomeroy. Phillips’ sum total of theatre experience was most evident in both stage presence and vocal projection. Aimee Jordan presented a sophisticated and very business like Dede McCoy. She demonstrates a well modulated delivery coupled with an innate confidence, also no doubt, born of a depth of previous experience. Caed Scott’s character contribution became noticeably better as the play progressed and his confidence kicked in. He looks good on stage and has a pleasing voice which he should direct more to his audience rather than upstage. I hope he aims to seek future roles.
The character of Mayor Hoggins was well inhabited by Chloe Arcon within the throng of her Councillors. She too improved her delivery after a tentative start and when confidence (that word again) gained the upper hand, she was an effective part of the whole. Sophie Warnecke gave command of voice and a positive boost to her TV studio role as Cleo. She looks at ease on stage in her character presentation and is among a number in this cast that I hope will look for more performance opportunities. Jayla Mansfield was suitably bold, brash and bossy in her appearance as Joyce. She spoke directly and with authority to her audience.
As Sheriff Marlowe (a Texas Ranger?) Vale Follett stuck to his guns and, pretty much, to his adopted American accent which he managed to maintain well enough. I liked his laconic character and his knowledge of where he was on stage in relation to other characters and to his audience. Follett served up a well timed and nicely paced performance that earned a positive response. And so too did Alisha Mohaan as the wandering Sophie who has a penchant for claiming guilt for every crime going. The audience twigged to her early in the piece as she drifted in and out of the action in a little world of her own! She endeared herself as a favourite.
In a timeline of just ninety minutes and with such a lot going on in this play I hope I have correctly placed actors against the correct character. All in this cast were notably engaged, involved and therefore positive contributors to the end product. The Tea Tree Players can be well pleased they have such depth of youthful performers and the cast can be well satisfied they played to an almost full house on their first night of three. Judging by the reaction of people sitting around me everybody was well entertained.
