Solid acting, funny comedy makes for good GLT theatre

While hazardous spills are never a funny thing, the one on the stage of John Elliott Theatre certainly garnered a few laughs, as Georgetown Little Theatre's (GLT) The Perils of Persephone opened Thursday night. The plot centers around a politically ambitious township reeve Eldon Currie, who mistakenly reports a truck of nuclear waste has overturned in his swamp. He alerts the Ministry of the Environment, the Minister of which lives nearby, and before you can say `Re-elect me", the two are up to their necks in a hazardous spill of their own making. By the time he, his family and the Ministry officials learn it's harmless, the entire evacuation plan has been galvanized into action, and to avoid the embarrassment of appearing silly (and incompetent), those in charge decide to `create' a nuclear spill to appease the throng of national media who have accumulated around the Currie farm. What results is a tangle of comedic red tape a mile long. The cast is a balanced collection of actors who all work well opposite one another. Paul d'Entremont plays Reeve Eldon Currie, and gives him a quality of a caring politician, but becoming just a tad addicted to the power of politics, as he wants to run for County Warden. Margaret Brady and Megan Brady handle the parts of his wife Marj and daughter Wendy, giving their characters a simple, trusty approach to the local neighbours, and a bit earthy to go with it. Ken Smith plays brother Orval, who tends to have almost an earthy Charlie Farquharson appeal to him, as he calls a spade a spade (and sometimes something a bit more graphic.) Shane Philips plays the inept Hon. Henry Burford, the Minister of the Environment, who tends to be more interested in `appearing' to be in control, then he actually is, in his bumbling, incompetent way. Playing quite nicely alongside Philips is Kathryn DeLory, who handles the part of Skip Fuller, a pushy spin doctor for the Premier, who has a way of analyzing every event as a potential photo op or media circus. Equally funny is Gary McIlravey, who handles the part of the hapless Francis Hinkley, driver of the ill-fated truck that lands in the Currie swamp. The first act of the play tends to be a bit slow, but the action and dialogue picks up nicely as the second act opens, with the myriad of misinformation flying about the stage. The set is well appointed, having the appearance of a farm kitchen, complete with a veranda that allows the players to take the action `outside.' The Perils of Persephone is a light, sometimes funny play with some great one-liners that gives it a sometimes unpredictable feel. From a satirical point of view, it certainly gives one food for thought, wondering how close to reality the plot could be. Although The Perils of Persephone may not be the most profound offering of GLT's repertoire, it certainly entertains for an evening, which is what live theatre is all about. The play continues its run this week.