‘Gallis and the Rolling Calf’ new comedic thriller from Patrick Brown
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“You guys were going somewhere?” asked Jane, as Jomo and John freeze in their steps, after their failed attempts to get as far away as possible from Jane.
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Jomo (Desmond Dennis, left) demonstrates to John (Glen Campbell) that rolling calves probably do exist, in a hilarious exchange in Patrick Brown’s ‘Gallis and the Rolling Calf’.
“Our greatest challenge in preparing each production is to make it different from all the others we’ve done. The audience wants a different experience each time they come to the theatre, and that realisation guides all we do,” was the statement from ace playwright Patrick Brown while at rehearsals for the Jambiz summer production Gallis and the Rolling Calf, which opens at the Courtleigh Auditorium on Friday, July 24.
For this production, the Jambiz team has assembled yet another impressive cast of actors, and leading the charge is the inimitable master of comedy, Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell. His ever-present comedic sidekick, Courtney Wilson, returns, but on this occasion, he will share the role with Desmond Dennis, a young thespian who has steadily built up an enviable record on the stage. The three-member cast is completed by Renae Williams, alternating with Shanique Brown.
The plot revolves around John (Glen Campbell), a “gallis” who spends most of his time looking for the next female conquest and who prides himself on his high rate of success. For him, it is all a game. Only this time, he may have picked the wrong conquest and may just be playing his final game. But the journey from conquest to discovery is filled with side-splitting, laugh-out-loud comedy, the kind of laugh-a-line comedy for which Patrick Brown has become renowned.
Courtney Wilson, who plays the character Jomo, is promising another laugh fest in Gallis and the Rolling Calf.
“When we have so much fun giving life to the characters, it’s a good sign that the audience will be in for a comedic treat. This one is really very funny. And on top of that, it’s filled with lots of twists and turns. Surprises will come jumping at the audience right throughout. The audience will love this one. Trust me,” said Wilson.
His alternate, Desmond Dennis, supported Wilson, and, with a smirk, he playfully said, “Be warned.”
Renae Williams comes to Gallis and the Rolling Calf from a highly successful run in Boospie’s Homecoming. The audience just loved her conniving, deceitful, yet humourous portrayal of her character, and she is promising an even better performance in this production.
“I learned so much in Boospie’s Homecoming from working with this amazingly talented group, especially writer-director Patrick Brown and, of course, Glen and Courtney. So I am now more prepared to take it to that higher level,” she said.
Williams (Jane) shares the role with a newcomer to the Jambiz stage, Shanique Brown. But Brown is by no means a rookie, having done quite a few productions over the years, and if rehearsals are anything to go by, she has fitted in amazingly.
After the Friday, July 24 opening night, Gallis and the Rolling Calf will play from Wednesdays to Fridays at 8 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays and public holidays.