Rum And Coca Cola
Stripped to its essentials, the story of Rum and Coca Cola is timeless. A young hopeful seeks out an acknowledged past master and the master agrees to teach him.
Victor Romero Evans (Professor) and Marcel McCalla (Slim) in Rum and Cola at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds Photo: Richard Hubert Smith
In this case the master is Professor, a three-time Calypso King. At his shack on a Trinidad beach he is teaching young Slim the art of calypso writing. Slim wants to be the next Calypso King. Along the way Professor hopes that Slim will learn from his life of fame and ill-fortune. Ill- fortune ? Professor let his own downfall happen but he clings to the excuse of bad luck and begins to believe that he is forever cursed.
Victor Romero Evans plays Professor with appealing verve and oh boy can he move. He struts like a rooster, in his own sweet time, and he speaks, as if to affirm his writing ability, with the formal dialogue of a Dickensian character.
Marcel McCalla’s Slim is how Professor must have been in his heyday - filled with ambition and just as naive. Both Professor and Slim are on a journey of self- realisation.
Don Warrington, who is for ever associated with the television comedy Rising Damp, makes his debut as a director with this staging. He keeps a relaxed tempo but there are flat spots when things get serious.
Colours and sounds set a delicious atmosphere. Jason Taylor’s lighting will get nods of approval from anyone who has ever designed for the theatre.
Production information
- By:
- Mustapha Matura
- Management:
- Talawa, West Yorkshire Playhouse and English Touring Theatre
- Cast:
- Victor Romero Evans and Marcel McCalla
- Director:
- Don Warrington
- Design:
- Anthony Lamble
- Sound:
- Mic Pool
- Lighting:
- Jason Taylor
- Musical direction:
- Dominique Le Gendre
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Run sheet
- West Yorkshire Playhouse, Courtyard Leeds
- March 10-April 3 2010
- Nuffield Southampton
- October 13-16 2010
- Everyman Cheltenham
- November 2- 6 2010
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