Anthea McGibbon

PLAY REVIEW: Passa Passa Daily
THEATRE: Green Gables

From the beginning, it was evident what the play was about. For sure enough even the very costuming, and characterisations reflected the mix up, blending, crosses, plusses and hexing of Jamaican life.
Passa Pasa Daily is ongoing drama, which keeps each seated ‘victim’ well-focused on the highly energetic scenes rapidly unfolding, ending, transforming into new descriptive tales on the mentalities of Jamaicans.

All in a matter of shortened minutes you learn much about certain aspects of island life, and this time writer Everton Dawkins has little use for exaggeration. He along with director Garfield Reid pulls at roots, having gotten much from the ever drama-filled ‘streets’ of Jamaica.
In March, when it was time for review, the nine actors, each had a healthy share of fun, and, didn’t seem to be given enough opportunity to totally indulge in the role they apparently felt they were meant to perform. They were all impacting in taking the audience with them in the elements of Passa Passa Daily.

On a lesser scale though, the ‘Darling’ played by Felisha Lord could have been more convincing. That she did not unleash the full nature of the typical Colombian especially one who has Jamaican roots, could be due to her concentrating on her homeland security of stay in Jamaica. Then her supposed slight naivete worked best. She simply was not consistent in the role she played, although a good actor. The moves and accent especially, to make her stand out for who she was, sometimes deviated and thinned a bit. She would do better justice after a few more intense observations on the sensuous movements and mannerisms of the ever smiling and culturally-aware Hispanics.

SIMON THOMPSON PHOTO: Almost the end.

Still the quick steps of the energetic and sometimes fast talking Latinas/Latinos/Latin Jamaicans can be hard acts to follow. For a seasonal play, hinting is a tad sufficient, but her mother Icylda (Evelyn Forbes), should never have been more Colombian, than she is, even in part. Icylda is a Jamaican, who lived as the common-law wife to a Colombian drug lord in that country.
Enough said, the quick lesson on the shared ‘pinga’ culture was dynamic in strategy.
As the multifocal plot unfolds, each actor is a player, a don over another, yet living in fear of yet another. The props by Garfield ‘Bad Boy Trevor’ Reid, are highly complimentary, as the business naming signs go up and come down faster than the scenes can change, reflecting how plaza business in Jamaica truly is.
Just how both writer and director get each of the six characters to be boss and sub-servant at once, in a never ending cycle onstage is clever.
A spin on the average plays which puts it out of the dime a dozen zone, as authoritative figures the police and the parish council are not spared by the performances of Officer Roy Lickshot (Stede Flash) and the Mayor Blackwood (Patrick Smith). Even Darling although naïve and fearful of deportation has her moments of being a “donette” in her feisty element she unleashes on Pearl (Suzette Barrett), who has strength for restaurant operator who she is landlord for, but only until. The restaurant operator is Stylish (Luke Ellington).
Pearl’s added strength for the leech Bibsy (Audrey Reid) is temporary and she expels a different strength on the mayor, in her nightly play with her husband being away. That is until restauranteer Stylish, and Bibsy get brief moments of revenge with the help of Chu Chu (Cleve Warren).
Interesting all these self made high powers are submissive to Nyah (Orville Hall). Nyah is ruled in the end by Bibsy who comes into her true element. She returns his medicine and wins him, ironically the object of her affection, till the end.

During the play it is Nyah who empowers the sexually arresting ColoJamaican Darling, when he marries her for ‘green power’ he comes to understand her mother Icylda has, and yet he intimidates Bibsy who is enthralled by him in true fool fool Jamaican style.
Nyah, owner of a multiple purpose presents one thread running through the hours holding the audience in a separate plot as works towards its climax – a stage show.
It is at that show that all actors, who spend their time concocting daily drama of typical Jamaican plazas, during the play, showcase other talents. It is at that show that Bibsy the underdog in a twist of fate comes out as owning the real super power. But then again Nyah only coined a marriage to Darling at the request of her mother to have access to the millions she stole from her former Colombian druglord lover.
At that same show, Chu Chu the neighbourhood reporter, who hypes the play with refreshing enthusiasm in calling in the latest colour-filled news to ‘Mark’, the newspaper editor, surprises with latest dance moves fit for private eyes. The matter of Chu Chu’s costumes calls for a new interpretation of another Jamaican order. In fact the props were so well thought out, they told stories of their own on Jamaicans, their focus, thought patterns and processing rates.
Green Gables is far from being a large stage, but the director somehow manages to give the audience good a good angle on the few times of double scenes. Such as the restaurant scenes that lead into other scenes when Chu Chu or even the double-timing enters. Its done properly when even the Colo-Jamaican and her mother are on the stage occupying the minds of the audience with their concerns, while for example other drama with the hairdressing salon which have other businesses operating is happening.
The play is a resilient outworking of a highly creative and active mind, overflowing with Jamaican scenes writer and director have observed over the years, as well as understanding of theatrical elements functioning as one.
The other main persons behind the play also are fully learnt or experienced even in observation on the raw Passa Passa culture of Jamaicans and dare one also proposing Caribbean people. The scenes, even when continuous, with telling drama after the next was a chock full, and everyone in the room were filled with every bite, missing none.
Bad Boy Trevor as Garfield Reid, the director, did well to assist other actors in improvising at a quickening pace, so hiccups were almost void of notice.

OTHER PERSONS MAKING THIS PASSA PASSA HAPPEN:
Stage Managed by Trucdy Fraser; Sound by Everton Ellington.

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bad boy trevor, Everton Dawkins, Green Gables, Passa Passa Daily, play review