Marcia Rowe, Gleaner Writer

When the lights went up on Jam Biz's 12th annual Christmas production, Sheep in Wolf's Clothing last Sunday, it was clear that the sold-out house was there to have a bellyful of laughter, regardless of the play's tragicomedy genre.

Fortunately, this Centerstage Theatre-based production was a pound of plot and a ton of laughter transmitted through a talented cast led by Oliver Samuels and Glen Campbell.

But the true strength of this comedy is not so much its talented cast or pretty decent directing, but the set, a display of grandeur and spectacle.

Behaviourism

Laced with Ivan Pavlov and John Watson's behaviourism philosophy, which states that people are victims of their environment, the Patrick Brown-written story tells of the wealthy Brown family caught in a mire of conflicts.

Set in a Beverley Hills home, Carla (Sharee McDonald-Russell) a family court social worker agrees to foster a young "ex-convict and school dropout", CP (Courtney Wilson). Carla's daughter, Pat (Camille Davis), who has a habit of picking up stray animals, supports her decision, but Carla faces strong objections from her contractor husband, Amos (Oliver Samuels).

As a result, there is constant friction in the home between Amos and the ever-angry CP, whose mannerism is credited to his former environments. But one night, after a visit from a burglar, Amos discovers that CP is the child of his sister, Ingrid.

Also living in the Brown's household is Amos' always-hungry brother-in-law Bert (Glen Campbell), the returning resident whose role, apart from providing comic relief, is to evoke the name of Ingrid, CP's mother.

comedic strength

The play's comedic strength lies in its language and actions. And remarkably, despite the superficial plot, the characters, except for Bert, showed some form of growth both physically and emotionally, especially CP.

The cast gave a spirited performance. Samuels could do no wrong for the audience, who laughed at his every word, even in moments of Amos' grief.

Campbell also performed creditably in spite of his character's lack of growth. The audience found his exaggerated scoliosis rather amusing. But his most effective moments were when Bert had nothing to say.

Other members of the cast, Davis, McDonald-Russell, Christopher Hutchinson (Slime) and Wilson also played their roles well. Wilson showed the development of CP, from the angry social outcast to the mature pleasant professional with clarity and credibility.

Directors Trevor Nairne and Patrick Brown did a good job in moving the action, using levels and all the acting areas. The entrances and exits were consistent. But they could have been a bit more creative with stage business. At times, Davis seemed to be unsure of what to do with her books, especially in the opening scene.

Technically, Sheep in Wolf's Clothing was sound. Designed by Nairne, the costumes were spot on, blending into the realistic style with panache. The set, another Nairne design, depicted a dining/living room. The two areas were creatively decorated. There were two alcoves, upstage right and left, and a well-stacked bar centre stage left. But the grandeur of the set was the green-railed staircase, enhanced by high-yellow painted walls, it stands majestically upstage centre, creating the illusion of a second storey with at least four bedrooms.

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing is another production worth seeing. It is a family drama, and provides medium brow humour.