Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean

Firstly, my compliments to the scene designers and builders, the set looked terrific and, as the play progressed, it was clear that a great deal of thought had gone into its design.  Not just for the look but for the practical requirements of the script.  The set was dressed beautifully, completely in tune with the period of the play.

The script was interesting and thought-provoking and although I needed a lot of concentration to follow the plot, as the play progressed, it became clearer.  I did find myself trying to second guess the author and got it right about 50% of the time!

Director Bill Edwards assembled a stellar cast and how lovely to see a play that gives strong female actors the chance to shine.  Glenys Young gave Juanita an interesting character, and, she portrayed the uptight, god-fearing rural American with great style.  Sandra Trott was excellent as Mona, a very well-judged performance.  Lisa Rawlings played Sissy with great bravado, making her breakdown all the more poignant.  Gail Hughes was great as Stella May, excellent comedy timing and I felt this character could have been the subject of a whole other play!  Hilary Martin completed the group of older James Dean disciples with a nicely paced performance.  Lucie Burrow, playing Joanne, had a difficult job to do, which she did well, making the character completely believable as a transgender woman.

The play mixed current day with flashbacks and it could have been quite difficult to get to grips with the concept, but Bill Edwards placed his actors, on stage, so that it became easier to understand as the play moved forward.    Emma Thwaite played the younger Mona very well, her diction was clear and very well paced.  She is a very competent performer with a lot of experience despite being relatively young.    Macey Broom played the younger Sissy very well, although her dialogue was a little more difficult to hear as she didn’t always project as well as she could have done.  Her characterisation, though, was excellent.  The younger cast was completed by Nicolas Rayment playing both the young Joe and, right at the end, the Jimmy Dean of the title.

Most of the cast had the southern American accent right, although it did tend to ‘come and go’ on occasions with one or two cast members.  The technical aspects of the play were important and the use of sound effects enhanced the performances on stage.  The costumes were perfect for the period and, once again, my compliments on an outstanding set.

I do hope that other societies take the opportunity to look at doing this play as it gives a lot of scope for character actors.  I thoroughly enjoyed the performance and give my thanks to the Front of House for looking after me so well.   I am looking forward to Blackmore Players next production.

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