A scene from the musical comedy ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder’ currently on at The Masque theatre and later at Milnerton Playhouse.
Image: Faeron Wheeler
Title: A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Director: Kyla Thorburn
Starring: Barend van der Westhuizen, Nick Plummer, Regina Malan, Lara Basson, Melissa Sanderson, and others
Venue: The Masque theatre in Muizenberg from 22 May to 6 June and Milnerton Playhouse from 19 June to 5 July
Rating: ★★★★☆
When I started writing about theatre shows an arts editor flat out refused to touch community theatre and preferred to focus on shows at more established theatres.
Sure, the actors at those bigger venues are professionals who do this for a living. These venues have proper lighting, sound and stages to produce and present a better quality outcome. One enters with expectations of a polished experience.
Simultaneously, the quality of community theatre can differ because performers very likely do not have the same training and experience as professionals and venues operate with far less equipment due to smaller budgets.
But that does not mean community theatre should be entirely dismissed. Nor should its shortcomings be an excuse to give it an easier review. Context is vital: see it for what it is, but do not let go of the parameters that make good storytelling.
To that end, I spent an evening this week at The Masque non-profit theatre in Muizenberg for the opening night of the musical comedy ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder’.
This is a well-known and award-winning play based on a novel written by Roy Horniman in 1907. It has been performed at New York’s Broadway theatres.
The synopsis reads: “When the charming but penniless Monty Navarro discovers he is eighth in line to inherit the earldom of the wealthy D’Ysquith family, he sets out to improve his prospects — by eliminating the competition. One by one. With style.”
The Masque’s community theatre group of actors and directors — along with its ushers and various other roles — are filled by volunteers. While its staging of this play was technically not the best standard, the actors cannot be faulted — the singing and acting talent on stage were excellent.
The technical challenges mostly included microphone glitches. Abrupt sound errors also occurred during some of the singing. One actor walked on stage holding a microphone while performing. The lighting had a few missteps.
The cast however made all of this seem irrelevant due to exceptional performances. There were no awkward on-stage moments as the play flowed smoothly from one scene to the next.
The script is hilarious and gives the actors so much to work with. One of the stand-out actors Nick Plummer even tackles nine different roles with ease, clearly in the hands of a director who knows how to get the best out of performers.
This story has an interesting, twisted end as either love or money — or both — motivates the characters to pursue their desires. And that makes for entertaining theatre.