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Witty, cynical, broad humor off-beat Privates on Parade is for you Review by Rich See,
dcmdva-arts.org reviewer If you like witty, cynical, broad humor that’s more slapstick than politically correct, then Studio Theatre’s mounting of Peter Nichols’ off-beat Privates on Parade is for you. This is a show that will have you laughing every few minutes with double entendres, askew glances, and men in uniform wearing high heels! Set in 1948 Singapore, just as the British Empire was becoming less of an empire and simply more of an island nation, Privates on Parade centers on a misfit, rag tag entertainment squad of enlisted men. Think “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” puts on a show. The action begins when Steven Flowers (played by Jon Cohn), a new recruit trained in intelligence, arrives at the base for his first assignment. He is immediately greeted by Corporal Len Bonny (David Bryan Jackson), who provides young Steven with his uniform, mascara, and munitions. While outfitting Flowers – and I do mean outfitting - he also explains the way of life within the small company and suggests that the straight, young man get used to the idea of living in a gay environment. The young Flowers doesn’t seem to quite understand what the older man is implying until he meets Acting Captain Terri Dennis. Captain Dennis (superbly portrayed by Floyd King in a role he seems to be having a great deal of fun in playing) arrives looking more like a 1930’s movie director than a British officer and soon christens Private Steven as Stephanie. You see, Captain Dennis is a flamboyant “bum boy” and enjoys finding female equivalents to his men’s names. And with this begins the “blooming” of Private Flowers as he learns about the horrors of war, the pleasures of sex, the pressures of societal norms, the culture of gay men, the limits of his own inner strength, the pains of love, and the devastation of loss. Studio’s kickoff production for the 2002-2003 season includes fine work by the entire cast. Will Gartshore is the handsome Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright who has yet to experience a white woman. Jim Ferris is Lance Corporal Charles Bishop, Len Bonny’s dedicated and protective lover. Tom Gualtieri is Leading Aircraftman Eric Young-Love, who shows how hard it is to be an effeminate straight male. Sunita Param is half-caste Sylvia Morgan, brought to Malaya as Captain Terri Dennis’ dance partner, she seems destined to go from one war torn country to the next in her attempts to escape to England. Michael Tolaydo’s Sergeant-Major Reg Drummond, shows that all of Britain’s enemies weren’t hiding in the jungle. And J. Fred Shiffman’s delusional Major Giles Flack tragically highlights why Britain had to give back its empire. All in all, Privates is an enjoyable, energetic evening of theatre. The musical, written and first produced in the late 1970’s, is surprisingly fresh in subtext, characterizations, and feel. Nichols’ book and lyrics, which are somewhat based upon his own experiences in Southeast Asia, move the action along quickly. Denis King’s music will make you want to tap your toe. Robert Biedermann’s choreography adds to the overall humor of the production. While the official running time is stated as two and a half hours, the evening I saw it, Privates ran closer to three hours. And although it is a long comedy, the material and cast’s quick deliveries keep the production running extremely quickly. It’s a fun romp on a fall evening. Two things though…remember to take a sweater since the theatre’s temperature seems to be set on cold and arrive early to read the background history on the Malayan Emergency and the glossary of British slang terms provided in your program. You’ll enjoy your evening of Privates much more if you do! |
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