BWW Reviews: Dawson College Presents A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL Through April 27

A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL opens with the finale: an amateur opera company taking their bows after an apparently successful performance of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. Following the applause, the lead actor is left alone onstage, shunned by the rest of the company. What happened? Alan Ayckbourn's 1984 comedy follows Guy Jones, a newcomer to the Pendon Amateur Light Operatic Society (PALOS), as he ascends from one-line wonder to lead performer. Along the way, Guy finds himself unwittingly drawn into shady business deals and illicit relationships with more than one of his fellow performers. Scenes from The Beggar's Opera are woven into the play, providing background, commentary, and comedic support for the offstage hijinks.

This play is a challenge for any theatre company, with its complicated plot, operatic numbers, physical comedy, and variety of accents, and the Professional Theatre Program of Dawson College tackles the material admirably. Arguably, the success of the show is placed squarely on the shoulders of the actor playing Guy Jones, whose descent into corruption must completely lack any trace of intentionality. Sean Colby, as Guy, charmingly bumbles and stutters from one mishap to another so that from his very first introduction to the sassy stage manager, Bridget (Julia O'Donoghue), the audience can't help but want him to succeed (and succeed he does, in a twisted sort of way). Mr. Colby's Guy Jones is constantly taken by surprise at the corruptness of his fellow cast members, a quality that never feels forced, even as he finds himself drawn into concurrent affairs with Hannah (the director's wife, played by Adalia Pemberton-Smith) and Fay (an brazen swinger, played by CarolAnne Martin). Expect to see the talented Mr. Colby transfer easily from the Dawson College Professional Theatre Program to professional theatre.

Though the script itself is funny, much of the comedy in the play relies on the physicality of the actors. In this production, a majority of the laughter is attributable to Laurent Pitre in the role of Ted, a PALOS member who is subjected to such constant abuse from the director (Dafydd, played by Zachary Guttman) that he can no longer confidently recite a single line. Mr. Pitre is perfect, drawing on classic comedic traditions to turn even something as simple as deciding where to sit into an opportunity to be funny. As this is a student production, there are two alternating casts. Luckily for all audiences, Mr. Pitre appears in every performance.

A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL is directed by well-known educator, director, and performer W. Steven Lecky and features a set by Marie Dumas and costumes by Elizabeth Cognard. The show runs Wednesday to Saturday through April 27. Tickets $5.00 to $12.00. Box office: 514-931-5000 or www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/theatre-box-office/performances. For more information, visit www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/2012-2013/3rd-major-a-chorus-of-disapproval.

Photos courtesy of Dawson College.

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