It’s the way she plays up the connection between the gorgeous face and the goofy attitude that makes Camille Davis so appealing onscreen. But when it comes to knowing what she wants in life, there’s no faking. Her current role as Diana in Patrick Brown’s romantic comedy of the same name has been earning her critical acclaim. She has also been equally mesmerising in several other plays such as Cutie and the Freak, Class of ’73 and Love Games … more

Christopher Hutchinson’s portrayal of the character “the Candyman” in Patrick Brown’s DIANA play comes pretty close to the coveted mark. Candyman is a character that the audience loves to hate. Hutchinson plays the antagonist who causes the life of the main protagonist to go into a tailspin. He does it with so much conviction that members of the audience openly throw verbal tantrums at the actor while he’s on stage. When an actor can move an audience to such an extent then we know that the actor has delivered big time. You know that the actor has his audience eating out of his hands.

The boiling point is reached when the Candyman not only uses his ill-gotten gains to force Doggie to agree to Candyman spending a night with Doggie’s woman Diana, but also has the temerity to insist that Doggie has to watch the act. The audience goes berserk when the Candyman appears to get his way, and Doggie is reduced to a little wimp.

The young, energetic and exciting cast of DIANA is led by Camille Davis in the role of ‘Diana’. She is well supported by Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell as Pops, Courtney Wilson as Doggie, Sakina Deer (alternating with Terrian Dias) as a deaf/mute go-go dancer who goes by the name Cher, and of course, Christopher Hutchinson as the Candyman.

Writer, Patrick Brown, takes the audience on a roller coaster ride of emotions in the laugh-a-line comedy. Award winning director Trevor Nairne has once again crafted a gem of a production, and again shows why he is widely regarded as the doyen of directing in Jamaican theatre. The actors gel together like a well-oiled machine and deliver a consistently high quality, believable performance each night … loaded with laugh-out-loud (LOL) comedy.

DIANA currently plays each week at the Centerstage Theatre in New Kingston – Wed-Fri (8 p.m.) and Sat./Sun. (5 p.m. and 8 p.m.)

Directed by award winning director Trevor Naire, and described as a “romantic comedy”, the story revolves around Diana, an attractive go-go dancer who seemed to have been born to dance. But her insanely jealous boyfriend Doggie hates to see any other man come anywhere near Diana, which is impossible for her to avoid given her job, and especially given how attractive she looks and how she is at her craft.

Popular dancehall star Candyman develops a particular liking for Diana … well Diana’s body really. As luck would have it for the Candyman, Doggie finds himself on the wrong side of the law, and Candyman has evidence which could put him away in jail for a long time. But Candyman is a reasonable man … he offers Doggie a choice – spend jail time, or agree to Candyman spending one night in bed with Diana. Before Doggie could even digest that, the Candyman ups the ante … Doggie has to watch the “act”!

Diana stars Camille Davis (as Diana), Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, Courtney Wilson, Christopher Hutchinson and Sakina Deer.

Yet with all those achievements, Brown still thrives to refresh his efforts with each work. When DIANA opens at Centrestage on Saturday, August 1, 2009 at 5pm & 8pm, Brown explores the often misunderstood and maligned life of artistes known as go-go or exotic dancers. In the process, he created one of the most interesting characters ever seen on the local stage – an attractive deaf-mute dancer. One of the highlights of the production is actually how this deaf-mute individual is able to communicate with the other actors on stage and the audience, and the number of hilarious moments he is able to milk from those interactions. The talented young thespian Camille Davis has been cast in the title role.

Davis has built up an impressive dossier of achievements on the local stage over the last few years, with leading roles in such blockbuster hits as the recently completed SHEEP IN WOLF’S CLOTHING and several other Jambiz Productions.

DIANA actually had a short run back in 2001 – then called Dirty Diana. The situations explored in the work are as relevant today as they were back then – enticing the producers to give it a second life on stage eight years on wards.

The 2001 staging featured radio personality Sherando Ferril in the title role, alongside Glen ‘Titus’ Campbell, Nadia Khan, the late Charles Hyatt and American hunk Dexter Hammet as Baby Face. Pop singer Farenheit replaced Hammet towards the latter part of the run in November of that year. News Talk 93′s sizzling hot host Denise Hunt alternated with both Ferril and Khan.

The production created quite a stir back then, with a lively debate regarding a decision with which the main protagonist struggled. Diana’s boyfriend of many years Doggie runs into some trouble and is given a lifeline by the main antagonist Baby Face – spend jail time or agree to his woman spending a night in bed with Baby Face. And if that weren’t bad enough Baby Face raised the temperature by demanding that Doggie watch the act unfold. Audience members got dragged into the storyline, openly offering suggestions from both sides of the spectrum … heightening the drama unfolding on stage.

The 2009 revival will see Glen Campbell as the only surviving member of the original cast. Then he played ‘Doggie’, but has now been entrusted with the more “senior” role of Pops, played then by the inimitable Charles Hyatt. The cast also includes Jambiz regulars Courtney Wilson as Doggie, and Christopher Hutchinson as Candyman (Baby Face). Another bright spark on the local theatre scene Sakina Deer (who prefers to be known simply as Sakina) makes a special appearance as Cher – an attractive deaf-mute go-go dancer. Sakina has appeared primarily in Basil Dawkins produced plays, and productions mounted by the Jamaica Musical Theatre Company.

Award winning director Trevor Nairne has again been called upon to lend his creative genius to yet another local production. Nairne’s achievement in local theatre has become legendary, gaining the ongoing respect of his peers, actors and the audience.

After its July 29th opening, DIANA will then play Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8pm and on Sundays at 5pm and 8pm. it will also have two performances on Emancipation Day (August 1) and Independence Day (August 6).