The Magnificent Seven conjures up images of the Hollywood western movie released in 2016 yet the Mount Isa Theatrical Society play ‘The Magnificent Seven’ is based on a British drama by Catherine O’Reilly and Tim Churchill.
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The MITS version of the stage play is different to the performances we’ve seen and loved in the past.
The usual dry humour is prevalent but so is the drama and emotional turmoil of life as we get older.
My hat goes off to Cath McGrigor who played Nurse Aberline in a stellar performance to realistically convey compassion, drama and emotion to her character.
Directed by Emma Harman, the curtain opens to a quiet residential home set in suburbia at the Sunny Retirement Village.
The mundane routine of the residents is overseen by the fastidious nature of the manager, Mr Maybrick (Patrick Harman).
His neurotic behaviour heralds a number of laughs from the audience as he goes about his business of managing the sometimes cunning residents.
There's the serial knitter Betty who was an ex-Ministry Of War secretary and wheelchair-bound Brian (Octavian Sencariuc), a former spitfire pilot who loves to play with toy planes.
The flamboyant clothes designer Ron (Khovy Inthavong) and the drowsy sleeper Sid (John Telford) whose talent lies in counterfeiting.
Flo (Lorraine lane) played the mysterious Bletchley code breaker who is one of the smartest residence in the home.
Big time wheeler and dealer Reg (Sean Harman) and Bill (Grant Szabadics) are two heroes of the D-Day landings.
Their invisible existence has become an accepted way of life and this becomes very clear when one of the residents, Betty (Maile Thow) received a phone call from her family cancelling their visit yet again.
One day a letter arrives and a emotional discovery prompts the seven WWII veterans to reflect on their lives and their value as human beings.
As the 50th anniversary of D-Day approaches, each character goes on a journey of self-discovery which involves ninja turtles, biscuits and comradery.
They decide to visit the beaches of Normandy one last time, however, when Nurse Arberline receives news that takes her friendly face away from the home a new nurse (Amie O’Callaghan) arrives whose strict methods soon make the residents feel like they are prisoners in their own home.
In a haphazard series of events, they must plan their greatest escape and spring themselves from the home.
The Magnificent Seven is showing on Friday and Saturday nights until March 24 and it’s a ‘must-see’.
My rating is 5/5.
