Neil Simon’s BILOXI BLUES opens in a train carriage as five new recruits to the US army in 1943 head to Biloxi Mississippi for basic training before being sent to war. This is another excellent production from Castle Hill Players with a mixture of laugh out loud moments, witty one-liners, prejudice, racism, loyalty and tenderness.
It is a semi-autobiographical play in which Simon’s fictional counterpart Eugene M. Jerome, played with great feeling and heart by Julian Floriano, is an aspiring writer who learns some tough lessons about the discipline and harassment of army life imposed upon them by the middle-aged very tough platoon leader Sergeant Merwin J Toomey. The main focus of the play is the power struggle between Toomey, played by Chris Lundle, perfect in his role as THE bully and Arnold B. Epstein, played with gentle intensity by Agustin Lamas, as the quietly defiant intellectual.
The other recruits are a mixed bag of humanity thrown together for 10 intense weeks. Jason Spindlow is a strong physical presence, forever chewing gum, as the insensitive racist Joseph T. Wykowski. Daniel Vavasour, by contrast plays his part as the uncertain Donald J Carney and is Toomey’s first victim. Ben Freeman plays what appears to be a conventional recruit as James J. Hennessey but falls cruelly foul of the rules of the US army. Chris Butel plays the essentially decent Roy W Selridge but like the others, except Epstein, follows the rule of his superiors.
Michelle Murphy brings kindness and gentleness to her role as Ms Rowena, a prostitute who provides Jerome with the first of his wishes – to lose his virginity and Kate Gandy is a delight as the youthful, innocent and sincere Miss Daisy Hannigan who fulfils Jerome’s second wish to fall in love.
Under the strong direction of Meredith Jacobs, the story moves along crisply with smooth changes in emotions until the climax – the final confrontation between Epstein and Toomey.
The sets (Trevor Chaise), are most impressive and the changes are fast paced, clever and highly effective as the audience is transported from train carriage to barracks, mess hall, latrines, brothel and dance hall. The atmosphere is further enhanced by the sound design (Bernard Teuben), lighting (James WintersJ) and costumes (Annette Smnars) as we live with the struggling recruits.
Though many of the customs and accepted norms of the times has changed the struggles between authority and blind obedience and interactions among men living in close proximity is a timeless story. This is a play very well worth attending – both highly entertaining and an excellent portrait of a young man coming of age.
BILOXI BLUES is playing at the Pavilion Theatre, Doran Drive, Castle Hill Showground till 17 August 2019.