Patrons filled CLR James Auditorium at the Cipriani Labour College in Valsayn on September 18, for the final night of DC Shell Theatre's production of Amar Ackbar Anthony. The play, based on the number one Bollywood movie of 1977, was updated and placed firmly in a T&T context, with lots of timely jokes tailor-made for the Trini audience, in typical DC Shell Company fashion.
The theatre group is known for "family" entertainment, with "no smut", and enjoys a loyal following. The players, mostly amateurs, got into the action in the spirit of fun, in a production that didn't take itself too seriously, but tried to communicate its message of "family unity". As in the movie, the play followed the lives of three brothers, separated as children and raised in Hindu, Muslim and Catholic settings. After 18 years, their paths begin to converge, through dramatic intrigue, romance, violence and happy co-incidence.
At two-and-a-half hours long, the play could have been tighter, with several short scenes that could have been eliminated. There were musical numbers, some involving dance and lip synching of songs from the movie and more contemporary fare. The humour was often corny and silly, but generally good-natured and funny, eliciting lots of laughs from the audience.
The show featured some naturally talented young performers, and director Sheldon Narine starred as the father of the three boys. He said the play was their third and final production of the year, following Alladin and Mama Mia. Narine said fans could look forward to more from their company in the new year.
DC Shell Theatre's Amar Ackbar Anthony ran at the CLR James Auditorium in Valsayn from September 17-18.
