A Man of No Importance

It would be difficult not to love Playlovers' A Man of No Importance. Billed as a 'heartwarming Irish musical' it is certainly that and more. It is a beautiful production with an enormous heart.

Very much an ensemble production, every performer is involved at almost all times — and all performances are excellent. Central character Alfie Byrne is played outstandingly well by David Gardette. Alfie is an awkward, unlikely and unassuming hero and David wins the audience's affection in an exquisitely sung, consummately acted performance.

Trudy Dunn plays Alfie's spinster sister Lily; a sympathetically acted, standout performance. Chris Gerrish performs brilliantly as Lily's longtime beau and villain of the piece, while also making a cameo as Oscar Wilde, in another outstanding portrayal.

WAAPA students Josh Firman (in his first community theatre appearance) and Daisy Valero (in her first West Australian show) play the younger roles with wonderful freshness, enthusiasm and conviction.

Vocally the cast is very strong and lack of perfect execution in some cases is balanced with excellence in others, and dedication throughout. Tim How leads a very strong seven piece on-stage band, which despite using several deputies on the evening I reviewed, was still on the mark.

Designer Rhiannon Walker has used the community hall aesthetics of Hackett Hall as a basis to create an authentic church hall look and costuming and accurate props help create Ireland in 1964 very convincingly. Accents are used to excellent affect, probably due to strong support from the Irish Theatre.

A beautifully presented, exceptionally strong production that is well worth seeing. One of the treasures of 2015.

Kimberley Shaw