Reviews - The Jamaica Gleaner (Date: Wednesday Dec. 29, 1999)

Oliver Samuels rules 'Breadfruit Kingdom'

The traditional Boxing Day production, Breadfruit Kingdom opened to packed houses on Sunday at Centrestage Theatre, New Kingston.

The play is a 'delicious stew' of brilliant acting, a predictable, but tasty script and wonderful humour.

The cast of Breadfruit Kingdom includes Oliver Samuels as King Street, who rules the Breadfruit Kingdom on some mythical Caribbean Island circa the late 18th century with an iron fist. He often demands as much as 75 percent of all the food produced by the peasants, to satisfy the voracious appetite of his daughter. Princess Street, played by Claudette Pious.

Discontentment spreads among the oppressed populace who find a hero in the dubious Robin Hood-like character, The Masked Wonder' (Glen Campbell), who is like a curious hybrid of Daffy Duck and Zorro. Oliver Samuels is brilliant as a 18th century tyrant sans the enormous sexual appetite, however as he dreads making love to his wife, 'Queen Street', played by Fae Ellington.

There are interesting sub plots such as the affair that 'Queen Street' has with the palace servant. 'Slim', played by Volier Johnson and who makes the king a cuckold. 'The Masked Wonder' has an alter-ego, 'Humpy' who is also a palace servant and hangs ut with 'Slim'.

The set is bathed in colour and the children are sure to enjoy the sharp mix of all the hues in both the set design and the costumes, which apart from being funny (check out Oliver in gold shoes and black stockings), are quite believable.

One of the most hilarious scenes is an interactive one in which the audience suddenly becomes a part of a 'peaceful' demonstration against the royal excesses of 'King Street'. The actors begin the scene by pounding the theatre door, singing 'We Shall Not Be Moved' while walking through the theatre aisles, then the lights go on and revolutionary speeches begin. At that point the audience joins in the singing. And when 'King Street' berates you for being a 'sufferer' and a rabble rouser, you feel that you are part of the play.

It's great theatre, personal, gripping and interactive. You almost feel like an extra in the production.

Although the play is set in the late 18th century, there are modernistic motifs such as the royal AC, a demonstration permit, Costco jokes, area leaders and speeches that contain phrases like 'I am not shackled by the law', omar-nutrition', Bounty Killer's ;look into my eyes' and 'a one don de ya!'

There is toilet humour with a bidet joke and a flatulence joke. And of course there are fat jokes with 'Princess Street' being the butt (no pun intended) of most of them.

The songs in the production are excellent, especially Glen Campbell's solo, 'I Would Gladly Sleep on Princess Street', 'Hear we (We Tired A Yu)' and the closing number, 'We win (Unity)'.