From left, Kathy Grant, Oneil Peart and Lesley-Ann Bernard perform in 'Pizza Man' at the Theatre Place in New Kingston on Sunday. - Colin Hamilton/freelance photographer

Last Sunday, the turnout for the early show of Pizza Man was small, but those who did show up had their money's worth in laughter, generated by some fine acting and good directing.

The venue was the newest theatre space in the Corporate area, The Theatre Place, located on Haining Road in New Kingston.

Pizza Man, written by American Darlene Graviotto and directed by Kenny Salmon, highlights the passion and frustrations of three characters, Alice (Lesley-Ann Bernard), Julie (Kathy Grant) and Eddie, the pizza man (Oneil Peart).

Set in an apartment on a Friday evening, the story tells of a frustrated Julie who lost her job because she (allegedly) refused to have an affair with her boss. Now out of a job and money, this certified secretary drinks herself into a drunken stupor.

Julie's roommate, Alice, also has her issues. Her love life has crumbled because her lover, Allen, has returned to his wife. Both women, overwhelmed by their situation, decide to trap one of Julie's male friends in a night of forced passion. But alas, it is the innocent pizza man who becomes their victim.

The language of Pizza Man is beautiful and humorous and the cast of three performed credibly. Grant, as the slender Julie, was the first on stage. While she eventually got into her character, the first part of her act was shaky, and at times she appeared to be overacting. Admittedly, it must be challenging to play a drunken, frustrated character with believability.

Bernard settled in her role as the plump Alice shortly after her entrance. Her portrayal of the character was entertaining and convincing.

Hilarious

But the best performance came from Peart as Eddie, the pizza man. He was hilarious in his embodiment of the character. His ability to change from one emotion to another, as demanded by the character, was excellent.

His demonstration of the naive, the macho and the frustrated man was executed with the skill of a great pizza maker and the taste of a double-topping of pepperoni and cheese. Additionally, each of his lines was delivered with clarity.

Salmon's directing was good, especially in the 'chase scene', but not flawless. His area of concentration seemed to be on characterisations and this is understandable. Pizza Man is best described as a play written in the genre called Theatre of the Absurd, a form of comedy. The strength of plays written in this genre is their language and the ability of the actors to make the characters interesting. But this does not excuse some weakness in directorial decisions, such as the weak ending of some scenes.

Set and costumes were designed by Cheleta Buddo. The costumes were functional, but it would have been more effective to see Julie in a melancholic-looking colour instead of the peach. The choice of sofa is effective and attractive to look at, but the refrigerator placed stage right could have been sacrificed, especially when there is no other evidence that the area is a living/dining room. Also on his entrance, the pizza man states that the apartment is a one bedroom, but the set does not justify this assertion.

It should be noted that The Theatre Place is still under construction. It is spacious, has a large stage and currently seats 200 persons, but upon completion will seat approximately 320.

Pizza Man is an adult comedy; it is not suitable for children or the pious.