The cast of Seasoned Rice (from left) Coleen Lewis, Craig McNally, Max Woodham, Noelle Kerr, Nadean Rawlins and Andre Morris.

The chefs upgraded the flavour from mild to spicy and, in some instances, hot and spicy. They served it on a more attractive platter. There were also some new waiters. The result? A more tasty Seasoned Rice.

Seasoned servers Craig McNally, Coleen Lewis, Nadean Rawlins, Lawrence 'Max' Woodham, along with newbies Noelle Kerr and Andre Morris, served a packed house with passion at the reopening of Seasoned Rice last Wednesday at The Pantry Playhouse, New Kingston. From the opening song, through to the end, they embraced their multiple, but one-dimensional, characters like jam to bread and gave very convincing performances.

the recipe

Worthy of mention is the re-titled ingredient 'Planet Solar Competition', formerly 'Miss Jamaica'. It was entertainingly served by Rawlins, Kerr and Lewis. Morris was fantastic as the crazy selector. McNally, playing the Michael Jackson look-a-like salesman, made a bold move in this adaptation.

The recipe for Seasoned Rice was written by Amba Chevannes and Karl Williams. The play is a comedic revue that satirises a wide cross-section of Jamaican institutions such as the church, social habits and family life. The playwrights used different medium, folk tale characters, Shakespearean characters, regular people and national heroes to communicate their messages.

Michael Daley was the Maître d'. He guided his servers very well. In breaking down the fourth wall, he had them talking to the audience and initiating the members to serve up their tasty responses too. The slower pacing of the scenes and actions was more effective and, therefore, helped the actor and director remain true to the genre.

the best improvement

Daley has not fully figured out how to manipulate the audio aspect of the play. While its purpose seemed to be fillers between the long scene changes, there was inconsistency in its use. Daley must now find a more effective way to employ the admittedly humorous exchange between the two characters, the voice of the "Narrator" and the music.

By far the best improvement was the set. The sober-looking set has been transformed into a creatively displayed dish. The designer opted for a more fixed set of brightly, but tastily decorated, black flat panels. When required, a single panel is placed at the centre to show the change in the setting. The flats were complimented by colourfully decorated boxes/cubes. They were used to represent stove, chairs and couch. The costumes remained appropriate and flexible.

Seasoned Rice is worth tasting but leave the children under 15 at home.

Craig McNally as Schoolboy - Contributed