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TRAFFORD TANZI
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by
BRIAN MORTON
February 25 - March 3, 2010 |
From the moment that one enters the Waterdown Memorial Hall, it is obvious that we are in for something different. Where the seats normally are is a large wrestling ring, and in what is usually the performance area is audience seating and a band – local punk favorites Science Ninja Big Ten.
Within moments of arriving, several gaudily dressed wrestlers appear and bodies begin to bounce off the ropes, hitting the floor with a satisfying crunch. Watching, it is clear that these are not amateurs – they have been doing this so long that their bodies have become accustomed to the violence.
Gradually it dawns on us that this is not part of the play, but rather a display of skill put on by the professionals who coached the actors. In hindsight, perhaps this was not such a great idea: it is a bit like having Baryshnikov opening for the local ballet school recital. One could not help but wonder what the production might have been like if wrestlers of that caliber had been cast in the play instead of the committed but relatively unskilled bunch of community troupers that arrive soon after.
Audience participation is the key element that makes Claire Luckham’s 1978 play Trafford Tanzi such a rare local theatrical experience. Most times, an audience is expected to quietly absorb a performance – that certainly is not the case here. In order for the show to work, the audience must respond, they must get involved in what happens. You must pick a side and cheer them on!
Sadly, the audience at the performance I attended refused to provide the participation that is key to the show. The original production happened in pubs in Liverpool – perhaps what was needed was a beer sponsor and free pints circulating during the show. That point aside, there was much to like in this production of Trafford Tanzi .
The supporting cast of Mum (Dianne McEwan), Dad (Andrew Finnigan), and Platinum Sue (Kyla McCall) all do fine work keeping the excitement at fever pitch. George Sanford’s affable Referee announces the rounds and attempts to keep the mayhem under control. Finnigan gets all of the best laughs, but you have to pay close attention so as not to lose some of the punchlines.
As a community theatre production, this play is as good as it gets in balancing all of the many elements required. Much of this credit must go to director Michael Rae for pulling this very ambitious production together. Sometimes though there was the impression that Rae had merely gathered a bunch of talented folks into one room and kept his fingers crossed that it would all gel together. The moments in the play were not always as precise as I would have liked.
The play builds up to a cataclysmic final three rounds between our intrepid heroine Tanzi and her macho stud male chauvinist husband Dean Rebel over who gets to have a career and who gets to stay home and do the washing up. At the performance I attended, Alaina Mayer and Chris Cracknell played these roles with confidence and charisma – both truly provided the “triple threat” required in singing, acting and wrestling. One could not help but be impressed by the sheer stamina required to execute these roles.
So why should you go? Attending Trafford Tanzi is important because it is such a rare experience here on the local theatre scene. This is a play that requires the audience to take an active part; it is also classic working class entertainment, and Hamilton at heart still remains an industrial city.
I really hope that this rock and roll show finds a much younger audience then normally attends community theatre. To become part of this excitement, all you have to do is grab some tickets – best to do it quickly, though, as the seating is limited and word of mouth about this fine production is spreading quickly. Not to worry, earplugs are provided if you want to bring your parents along. V [BRIAN MORTON]
TRAFFORD TANZI by Claire Luckham
Waterdown Village Theatre
at the Memorial Hall,
317 Dundas St East,
Waterdown
February 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27
March 4, 5, 6 at 8:00 pm
Matinee on. February 28 at 2:00 pm
Tickets: 905.690.7889
www.villagetheatrewaterdown.ca
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