One man’s sincere reflection

PERSONAL narrative, philosophy and social satire form a diverting amalgam in this original one-hander from actor and co-director Jervis Pennington as he chats and sings his way through the show’s 70-minute duration.

Battered, scruffy, and soft-spoken, this man has a direct blue gaze which mesmerises the audience with something akin to a challenge, his acerbic comments on life in the Mother City and a calculated contempt of convention adding to the sense of defiance that pervades An Extraordinarily Ordinary Life.

There is, in fact, very little in Pennington’s experience that could be described as “ordinary”.

He goes from extreme poverty to fame and wealth, and – once the latter is squandered – back to even more abject poverty as a homeless and destitute reject of society.

Yet, far from being a degrading situation, this last stage of his journey proves curiously liberating.

Each period of his life is celebrated with song, accompanied by a gently strummed guitar, and the first number has the refrain “a private-school-educated poor white” – a succinct summary of the poles of his existence.

Pennington has an admirable command of accents, a talent harnessed to the presentation of diverse characters he encounters during his life.

Among the more memorable of these is Blackie Swart, to whose untender mercies the young Pennington was subjected during his conscription into the Navy.

A blend of humour, resentment and quirky tenderness in the recital concerning their rapport is typical of the unorthodox tone taken by the narrator throughout, making this exploration of life’s trials and pleasures intriguing and piquant.

Vivid accounts of life on the streets, a tribute the generosity of the poor, and an affirmation of music with a companionable guitar, all play their part in the run-up to the unexpectedly positive finale.

Pennington may be down and out, but his spirit has a heartwarming resilience, reminding the audience that wealth does not guarantee happiness.