Patrick Brown’s ‘The Gallis and the Rolling Calf’, a must-see
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Jomo (Desmond Dennis) tries to talk sense into his older brother John (Glen Campbell) as he brought home a woman whose presence will change his life. Photo - Contributed
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Jomo (Desmond Dennis) tries to talk sense into his older brother John (Glen Campbell) as he brought home a woman whose presence will change his life. Photo - Contributed
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Glen Campbell and Shanique Brown have tremendous chemistry as they get into their roles as lovers John and Jane, having met at a grave site. Photo - Contributed
What happens when a womaniser goes seeking to score, at a funeral of all places, and takes home a willing woman for a fun rendezvous, only to end up with more than he bargained for?
This is the scenario in Patrick Brown’s The Gallis and the Rolling Calf, now playing at the Courtleigh Auditorium.
Bruce, played by Glen Campbell, using the alias ‘John’, meets Jane, played by Shanique Brown, at his aunt’s gravesite, and the two wasted no time getting hot and heavy back at his place; only the place was not his, and the woman was definitely not whom he thought she was. While he was slow to recognise all the red flags that should have warned him to run for his life, his brother Jomo (Desmond Dennis) picked up immediately, and while he did not agree with his brother’s choices, he was not about to leave him in danger.
The Gallis and the Rolling Calf is undeniably funny. In fact, the entire play, with strobe lights and special effects for the scary bits, was a masterful piece of work, as the dark comedy played perfectly on the Jamaican psyche and fear of the things we could not explain rationally during our childhood. Things that were simply chalked up to being otherworldly or connected to the spirit realm by the duppies that walk among us, both seen and unseen.
Brown weaves traditional rituals into the narrative: what to do to chase away ghosts, how they laughed, and how cattle can become rolling calves when evil spirits inhabit them. He also plays on the rationale that as Jamaican children move away from rural communities, grow up and get educated, many forget or just dismiss the stories and rituals as nonsense used to frighten or keep children in line. Yet, the more we tell ourselves they hold no sway over us, the more we unconsciously pass them on to the next generation.
Once again, Campbell tickles the audience’s funny bone, as does the wiry and mouthy Dennis, who always has a sharp retort for everyone. Shanique’s addition to the cast adds some flavour to the well-seasoned characters as the trio works seamlessly together.
The Gallis and the Rolling Calf is definitely a must-watch. Maybe even more than once.
entertainment@gleanerjm.com