Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling is a heart moving, gripping play that kept me enthralled for the entire two hours of the performance.

Canterbury Theatre Guild, not renowned for presenting plays, put on a production with some incredible performances. Not to be mistaken with the film version starring Dolly Parton, the play includes just the seven women characters from the movie set in a Louisiana hair salon in the mid 1980s.

The seven women roles included Truvy Jones, played with great conviction and flare by Bridget McIntosh-Keating. Truvy is the owner of the salon, where the show takes place. The sisterhood of these seven women seems to be lead by Truvy and she steps in to break things up when emotions get to wild. Truvy takes in a new apprentice at the beginning of the show by the name of Annelle Dupuy, played by Jodie Blewitt. Jodie bought a lot of light and shade to the role from the quiet newbie to the group, to really letting her thoughts be here’d in a very emotional scene.

The mother daughter roles of M’lynne and Shelby Eatebeton, played in the film by Sally Field and Julia Roberts were here played by Canterbury regular Grace Lizzio and Kerstyn Walsh. Throughout the play we hear of Shelby’s Diabetes and there was a real evidence of a lovely bond between the two actors. Walsh deserves praise her accent (the best in the show) that never faltered. Lizzio, though was the stand out performer in the show, when late in the second act her character has a very emotional breakdown at the loss of her daughter. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house at the end of the show, largely due to the believable outburst from her character.

Rounding out the cast, the two other strong women were Rachael Gillfeather as Clairee Belcher and Rosie Olk as Ouiser Boudreaux. Gillfeather really excelled in transferring the larger than life widower full of worldly advice to the stage and brought some nice comical touches to a powerful piece of theatre.

Apart from playing the annoying town nemesis, Olk had some very touching moments and made you feel for the “cranky old thing”.

The set design by Cameron Stewart and director Stefan Jamel was very effective and the 80’s style trinkets that filled the stage were a nice added touch that helped transport you back to that era.  First time director Jamel has done a terrific job to bring the audience a hard-hitting emotional piece of theatre.

James Russell