The Citizen, 1999-11-10, Page 23THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1999. PAGE 23.
\E ntertainment Tour Walton homes
Theatre review
Play takes imagination
Their travels
Four actors take the audience on a tour across two continents in Travels With My Aunt, an
adaptation of Graham Greene’s novel, now playing at the Grand Theatre in London.
By Keith Roulston
Citizen
When Henry Pulling travels with
his aunt from Brighton to Paris,
Boulogne, Milan, Venice, Trieste
and Istanbul, then on to Paraguay
and Argentina, it’s for sure theatre
goers are going to have to use their
imaginations to go along on the
journey.
Travels with My Aunt, which
opened at London’s Grand Theatre
Friday night, in short, is not the kind
of show for those who like realistic
settings in their theatre.
Those with a sense of adventure,
however, can be rewarded with this
adaptation from the novel of
Graham Greene, in which middle-
aged, stay-at-home bachelor Henry
Pulling is introduced to the interna
tional life of his aging Aunt Augusta
as she gets involved in international
intrigue and romance. Along the
way he learns more about himself
and more about his mysterious aunt
and learns to thrown oft his staid
English background for the adven
ture of international smuggling.
With dozens of characters to be
portrayed in countries all across
Europe and South America, it’s cer
tain that each actor will have to play
more than one character but in this
production, originally produced at
BUCK & DOE
for
TaMlwy Hojan <
JaMie "Fred" ScoH
Milverton Recreation
Complex
Saturday, Nov. 13
8:00 to 1:00
D.J.
Lynch Provided
the National Arts Centre in Ottawa,
all the characters are played by four
men — including Aunt Augusta and
all the other women In fact the four
men often take turns playing the
same characters: all for instance take
a whack at being Henry Pulling,
sometimes at the same time.
There are no changes of costume
(all the men wear casual suits), no
changes of set except for different
names or photos projected on boxes
that provide a background for the
actors.
The challenge then is for the
actors to create recognizable charac
ters and director Marti Maraden has
put together four fine actors to pull it
off. Lome Kennedy (husband of
Goldie Semple who starred at the
Blyth Festival in 1998) has the heav
iest load, playing nearly all of Aunt
Augusta’s part and some of the
Henry Pulling part. Robert Latimer,
who heads Victoria Playhouse in
Petrolia, plays seven characters
including two women and the a fas
cinating American who claims to be
doing research into how much of
their lives people spend going to the
bathroom, but is actually a spy.
Roy Lewis’s main focus is on the
globe-trotting butler/lover of Aunt
Augusta but he also contributes to
Atwood Lions
Bingo
every Thursday
Doors open 6:30 p.m.
Starts at 7:00 p.m.
•J
Portraying dozens of characters, men and women, are: (left to right) Roy Lewis, Lome
Kennedy, Robert Latimer and Pierre Brault. (Gordon King Photography, Ottawa photo)
six other characters.
But perhaps Pierre Brault has the
most fun, and in turn provides the
most fun for the audience. He plays
several winsome women including a
hippy American girl touring Europe
(Travels with My Aunt was first pub
lished in 1969). He adds real hilari
ty, however, as the big Russian
wolfhound dog of a German
General’s wife as she tries to escape
Italy before the on-rushing Allied
troops in World War II.
It’s a moment of real animation
when something is really happening
on stage and unfortunately it’s all
too rare. For too much of the night
there’s plenty of interesting things to
listen to but too little to see, once the
novelty of watching four men play
all those characters wears off.
Travels with My Aunt is the kind
of theatre that other theatre profes
sionals admire. From an entertain
ment standpoint, however, ordinary
people may find it less intriguing.
KEB
TWIN CINEMA
| SURROUND SOUND STEREO
LISTOWEL 291-3070
STARTS FRIDAY
CINEMA 1 7 & 9
AA THE STORY -
OF US
BRUCE WILLIS,-MICHELLE PFEIFFER -
CINEMA 2 7 pg -
SUPERSTAR z
MOLLY SHANNON
CINEMA 2 9 RestrictedzBRINGING OUT
THEJDEAD *'
1
On Saturday, Nov. 13 and Sun
day, Nov. 14, Duff’s United
Church is hosting the Walton
Christmas Home Tour.
Six home as well as Duff's are
being decorated by local business
es. Follow the map on the back of
the tickets which are available at
the Brussels Variety, any church
member or call Barb Durrell at
887-6068. Price is $10.
Homes, which range in age from
century dwellings to new resi
dences, can be toured all at once or
over the two days. Featured are
Bruce and Katrine Godkins which
is decorated by Flower Magic: Paul
and Dianne McCallum’s, decorated
by Jillian's; Brian and Shelley
Open House
In Honour of their parents
40,H Anniversary
The family of
Don & Jean Ives
wish to invite you to an
Open House
held at the home of Hugh Ives
on
Sunday, Nov. 14
from 2-4 p.m.
For more info & directions call
Hugh at 887-9611 or
Monica at 527-1092
McGavin’s, decorated by Hilde
brand Flowers and Box Furniture;
Rick and Jo-Ann McDonald, Just
for You and Listowel Florist; Don
and,Monique Baan, Maxine’s;
Keith and Gloria Wilbee, Luanne’s
Country Flowers; Duff s sanctuary,
Maxine’s; Duff’s downstairs,
Audrey Hackwell.
Following the tour visitors are
invited to finish at Duffs for lunch
and refreshments.
There will be 10 door prizes
drawn on Sunday at 5:30, p.m.
£c-ak ‘UlUa's 50
Chris Ten Pas
The family of Chris
would like to invite you,
on
November 13th
to a >
Come and Go Birthday Party
in the Brussels Library
Basement
from 1-4 p.m.
Best Wishes Only Please
COME & GO TEA
for
Cecil Raynard's
90th Birthday
Sunday,
November 21
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Ethel Hall
Everyone welcome
Best Wishes Only