December 16, 2007

RIVER BOTTOM takes CENTERSTAGE on Boxing Day

The Caribbean’s King of Comedy Oliver Samuels returns to the local stage on Boxing Day (December 26), in Patrick Brown’s Musical Comedy “RIVER BOTTOM” – the 11th Annual Jambiz Christmas Production.

 The play is set in the district of River Bottom – a dirt-poor, isolated “fishering” and farming coastal community located in deep-deep rural Jamaica, where there is no running water and rural electrification has not yet ventured.

Samuels plays “Cappo” – River Bottom’s spiritual leader, faith-healer, prophet, MP, obeahman, storm whisperer … and whatever else works. The people are poor and are in the main illiterate and ignorant of what happens outside the geographical area that is River Bottom. As the only one in the district with financial and other resources, Cappo reigns supreme.

But with all the money in the world Cappo is still unable to get the one thing he has had his eyes on for years – Cherrie’s one daughter Pearle (Camille Davis). His main nemesis is Quatty (Courtney Wilson / Christopher Hutchinson). Cappo “generously” helped Quatty’s father Half-Pint (Glen Campbell) to send Quatty to school overseas. We soon learn that Cappo’s generousness had rather sinister motives.

Quatty finishes school and decides that he has to use his education to enlighten the people of his boyhood community, and to help them to unshackle themselves. But he also has something … or rather someone else on his mind – the “Pearle” of River Bottom. Cappo is clearly not amused by the shenanigans of Quatty, and his own fast fading aura of “Mr. Don-man”. He sets out to do everything to frustrate Quatty’s efforts. But the winds of change are too strong and the people are soon able to see Cappo as the fraud he really had been all along.

A “power” team has again been assembled to fit the River Bottom pieces together. Directing has again been entrusted to the Caribbean’s doyen of the theatre Trevor Nairne, in a co-directing arrangement with Patrick Brown. Multi-award winning composer Jon Williams again has responsibility for creating the musical moments and Barbara McDaniel returns to create the “picture” on stage through movement.

Belinda Reid and Megan Lewis completes the cast, with producer/publicist Lenford Salmon having oversight responsibility for the production.  After the December 26 opening, River Bottom will play daily throughout the holiday season until January 13, 2008. Thereafter it will play Wednesdays to Fridays at 8pm and on Saturdays and Sundays at 5pm and 8pm.

Contact: Rosemarie Williams/Lenford Salmon – 929-1280/383-1033; lenfords@gmail.com