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Club Director's Notes

Enter a Free Man Flare Path TWO Lord of the Flies The Madwoman of Chaillot Music Hall Speed-the-Plow Gaslight The Importance of Being Earnest

• Speed-the-Plow

• 24th Mar - 31st Mar
• Written by: David Mamet
• Directed by: Lyndsey Meer
• Performance Times: Sat 19:45, Mon 19:45, Tue 19:45, Wed 19:45, Thu 19:45, Fri 19:45, Sat 14:45, Sat 19:45

Synopsis

John Whitley, Mike Truman and Sandy Truman play the three protagonists in this terrific play by the controversial playwright David Mamet so please come and see it expecting some great acting and exciting theatre.

Like many of Mamet's plays, 'Speed-the-Plow' explores the human cost of striving for personal and financial success with humour, irony and much vulgar language. Within the major theme of 'Art versus Entertainment', it examines such human concepts as friendship, loyalty, morality, betrayal, greed and sexual desire with lively and ironic humour.

Charlie Fox (Mike) comes to his superior Bobby Gould (John) with a deal the two movie men think will make their names and bring them huge fame and fortune. They strut and boast, spar and chivvy, fight, flatter and brag until Karen (Sandy) comes on the scene and divides the men in a way neither of these hard-bitten cynics would ever have foreseen. Karen manages to appeal to a side of Bobby that he almost never knew existed - his desire to be 'good' - and her influence provokes a vicious showdown. In Mamet plays everyone in Hollywood, and the business world in general, wants power and Charlie does his best to show his friend how he has unwittingly walked into a different kind of struggle for control.

This is a play that makes massive demands on professional actors, thereby presenting a huge challenge to amateurs. All three actors have to hold us completely, convince us they mean business. We are fortunate at Lewes to have actors capable of this standard of acting.

John has long had an interest in Mamet and lectured on his plays at university. This play will be his 50th performance at Lewes and many of you will have seen him in some wonderful parts such as Macbeth, Iago, Tartuffe, C.S.Lewis in 'Shadowlands', Joe in 'All My Sons', Oscar in 'The Odd Couple' and Scott in 'Terra Nova'.

Mike is another experienced actor, he teaches drama, recently received brilliant reviews for his performance in 'Blackbird' at the Brighton Festival and has commanded several strong leads at Lewes, including a sinister Schmidt in Joyce Fisher's excellent production of 'The Arsonists'.

Sandy Truman is well known on our stage from such diverse roles as tragic Anna in 'Ivanov' and mad Wendy from 'It Could Be Any One Of Us'. Sandy also teaches drama and examines for Lamda.

Our sparse set and minimalist foyer production pushes the language of this play and the acting skill needed to interpret it right to the front of our attention - where it should be.