Ladies Night show worthy of full houses
“Share more of yourselves, you need to be brave,” was the plea early on in Ladies Night from drama coach Glenda played by Michelle Walker.
In the end the cast was truly brave on opening night Tuesday November 26 at Dannevirke Fountain Theatre.
The cast had come a long way from how they initially visualised their show , summarised by one as “a bass guitar-playing priest with a doctor’s degree and a Swiss bank account.”
In the end there was none of that, replaced by a slick and spectacular finale which had the audience laughing, whooping and cheering as the Dannevirke Dream Boys strutted their stuff.
Proprietor of Lipsticks Nightclub Bernie, played by Davina Graham, went from a “very nervous bloody maybe,” after the audition to a pretty happy entrepreneur.
For each of the cast the journey to the finale had its own dramas and challenges. There is angst and argument, soul searching and personal analysis but lots of laughs and excellent stage craft.
Director Peter White has the cast interacting with energy, sincerity and energy. There are expletives but also many hilarious one-liners. His MC role as Gavin in the finale is worth the price of admission alone.
All the cast are experienced actors and it shows. Shaun
Newell as Craig the entrepreneur and initiator of the show, Barry (Gerard McKay), Norm (Martin Leeper) and Wes (Reuben Hautapu-Ball) all commit totally to their roles while Graeme (Vaughan Allardice) as the doubting Thomas is a good foil.
It is not only about “the boys”. Michelle Walker as Glenda whips them into shape in a powerful and creative performance while Davina Graham as Bernie also has a memorable cameo.
To describe their personal journeys would pre-empt the experience of attending. Let us hope Ladies Night plays to full houses just as the Dannevirke Dream Boys did in the script.
The Dannevirke Theatre Company’s production of Ladies Night deserves full attendance.
The show is on again at 7pm Tuesday December 3, running Wednesday and Friday with two final shows on Saturday December 7, one a matinee at 2pm.
Tickets $25 from Dannevirke Information Centre, Phone 374-4167.