• Howick and Pakuranga Times
KEVIN’S BED. Genre: Comedy. Written by: Bernard Farrell. Directed by: Laurie Mills Times rating:
Kevin’s Bed, by Irish dramatist Bernard Farrell, contains enough one-liners to loosen up the grumpiest malcontent.
The two-hour show is set around Dan and Doris’ silver wedding anniversary in 1973 and golden anniversary in 1998.
A sprinkling of silver in previously dark hair and a change of clothing is enough to age the younger characters as the play jumps forward more than 20 years.
The happily married couple are played by stage veterans Brian Keegan and Penelope Elliot.
Both deliver witty one-liners, with Dan’s rolling Irish lilt adding sting to his frequent sarcasm.
The subject of much of their scorn is their son and would-be priest, Kevin, played by the convincing Nigel Wilson.
Early fireworks are created by a love-triangle between the two brothers and John’s fiancé, the sultry Rose Rowan playing Betty. She is still harbouring feelings for Kevin, despite her relationship with his brother, and the fact Kevin has entered the priesthood.
Sparks start to fly with the appearance of the whirlwind “sister” Maria, played by the magnificent Naomi Jones.
Following Kevin from Italy, where they met, she is introduced to his parents as a nun who has travelled to speak to him. Her real reason for being there is a bombshell that leaves the audience in stunned silence.
In a cast of standout performers, Jones is the highlight, delivering a huge amount of dialogue in Italian, which she had to learn for the production with the help of dialogue coach Sara Tiani.
Judy Rankin, as Dan and Doris’ friend Pauline, is exceptional, as is Charmaine Hey as Kevin and Maria’s daughter Cecily.
Director Laurie Mills has assembled an all-star cast for an enjoyable night of cultural drama.
