Leighton Smith - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Luke Ellington's 'Backbiter' is the latest play to be added to the roll call of productions staged at Green Gables Theatre in St Andrew.

The performance on Friday, May 1, for the small-size house, was a dose of mixed theatrical feat. Also directed by Ellington, Backbiter is fierce in action. It offers a strong message through patches of a good storyline wrapped in a murky plot that is intended to generate laughter.

When the lights came up, a loud and rather spirited Gwen, played by Lorraine Barrett, is onstage condem-ning all things, including backbiting, that are contrary to Christianity. She is soon joined by her employer Pamela or Pam, played by Dainty Bellanfonte. Pam's presence onstage reveals that Gwen lives either next door or down the road and that she attends church because she is in love with the pastor.

mental institution

Next, Pem Pem (Leighton Smith) enters the house without knocking. He is Gwen's partner, who has come directly from a "mad house". It was never established how he knew Gwen would be at Pam's house. Pem Pem was sent to the mental institution because of his drug addiction. On his entrance, the sexual innuendos that were initially left to the imagination by the women in their dialogue, were now on display, as Pem Pem chases Gwen around the room. During the mélée between Gwen and Pem Pem, Pamela, in passing, mentions that her daughter Cassandra (Georgette Wright) will be coming on that day to live with her. Yep, just like an afterthought.

And so, Cassandra enters, without knocking. She wears a hideous-looking dress, an unflattering hat and lips covered in lipstick that seemed to be applied with a paint brush. But, there is contradiction. It is this afterthought, Cassandra's story, that turned out to be the main plot. And it is through her story that a plethora of messages came. They are not new, but relevant and current.

The story goes like this. Cassandra arrives from the country with big dreams, but becomes distracted by financial greed. As the daughter of a drug dealer, her greed sends her to the brink of taking drugs, but she is saved by her young mother, Pamela. Back on track to achieve her original career goal to be a lawyer, she overcomes obstacles like Razor Blade (Christopher Johnson), the local don (hurrah for her).

But Ellington decided to sacrifice a good story for laughter, and kills what could be described as a beautifully written script fit for all ages. Divided into two acts, the progress and pace of the story are often hampered by actions and dialogue that, while hilarious in construction and execution, did not advance the storyline. The language, especially in act one, is lewd and littered with clichés and song quotations.

shaking actions

Directorially, Ellington continued down his path of 'comedy extravaganza' with some set shaking actions that rival any action-packed movie. The actors dived, leaped and jumped all over the set, all clinically executed. The settee, placed at stage left, the three doors and the cupboard were given their fair share of rough treatment.

The obsession to play for laughter did not escape the cast. While articulation was of a high standard, they were often loud in the delivery of their lines, almost deafening at times, especially as the theatre space is relatively small. The acting styles were contrasting: Bellanfonte, Johnson and Smith opted for a more realistic style, while Wayne Clue (Detective Butty), Barrett and Wright went for a more farcical one.

Wright's farcical portrayal did not allow her to capture the emotional growth in Cassandra. And so costumes were used to show the character's different growth stages. Smith and Johnson were obviously comfortable with their respective roles. They were convincing in their portrayals albeit the characters were one dimensional. Clue, as the type-cast stupid detective gave a creditable performance, likewise Barrett and Bellanfonte.

The advertisement for Backbiter reads, "The comedy extravaganza; for action, suspense, and mix-up; entertainment for the entire family." The first part may be a true description, but for the entire family, it is not.

So parents, go see the play even if it is for the comedy; but leave your children at home!