It's a story as old as the hills: the battle between good and evil, but the story takes a darkly humorous twist in the latest production from Peninsula Players, Blackpool and Parrish, to be offered during a dinner theatre in Sechelt.
The play is by David Belke, a prolific Canadian playwright who premiered Blackpool and Parrish at the Edmonton Fringe Festival in 1993, winning the Sterling Award for outstanding new work.
Ed White is perfect in the role of the archetypical, cigar-smoking, nattily dressed trickster, Mr. Blackpool. The play opens with Blackpool musing on the destruction of the Roman city of Pompeii.
"If it's fun, it's evil," he remarks. "If it's boring, it's good."
That's not what Mrs. Parrish thinks, played by Michelle Saari. The force for good meets up with the agent of evil every quarter century or so at their exclusive club run by a bewildered Page (performed by Marilyn Browning) for drinks, banter and an eternal chess game.
Since head office has advised them that the apocalypse is due, the couple have invited their teenage children, Tiffany (Rebecca Ryan) and Adam (Sam Borthwick), to attend so they can pass on their duties to the younger generation.
However, the kids - as kids often do - have other ideas. The son is having trouble meeting dad's expectations of evil and the daughter rejects mom's goodness and virtue. Page, as the representative for the rest of the human race, may have the answer that will change destiny.
Casting is excellent for this performance - each seems ideally suited to his or her role.
This is the first time directing for Suzanne Pemberton, but certainly not her first foray into theatre. She's been working on amateur theatricals since 1980 when she started with Lyn Vernon's group, both acting and stage managing. Most recently she was stage manager on Quilters, and audiences will remember her as a good fairy in the pantomime Sleeping Beauty.
"So much work goes on behind the scenes," Pemberton said.
For example, the set will be constructed by the same designers, Derek and Deb Alltree, who created the set for the popular Fawlty Towers, performed a year ago. The costumes have been put together by Colleen Anderson, and stage management is by Lori Pepper.
Although many of the actors are new, Pemberton and Browning have worked with Peninsula Players since its early days. It first began in 1997, and, since moving into dinner theatre at Pebbles, they have mounted 24 productions. Though the dinner theatre has given the group the most visibility, the Players also perform in other arenas. Last New Year's Eve they presented a murder mystery, written by Browning and Sue Carson, at the Sechelt Seniors Centre to a full house.
Dinner theatre is popular with a stalwart group of fans. No wonder. Pebbles Restaurant serves a five-course dinner and the play is performed over postprandial drinks at a cost of $42 per person (beverages extra). This season's menu opens with greens and mango prawns, a stuffed sole starter, sorbet to cleanse the palate, roast pork loin with herbed vegetables and cinnamon apple strudel for dessert. Tickets are available only at Pebbles by phoning 604-885-5811. Dinner is at 6:30 and show time is at 8 p.m. The performance runs April 8 to 10 and again April 15 to 17.
