The Jamaican funeral tradition of Nine Night shapes the current production at the Round House Theatre. Family matriarch Gloria has died and lies in state in her bedroom, while her family welcomes the community to celebrate her life with food, drink, dancing, and the airing of grievances. It falls on Gloria’s cousin, Maggie (Kim Bey), and daughter Lorraine (Lilian Oben), to carry on the tradition while trying to sort out their feelings for her and the rest of the family.
The revelry occurs mostly offstage while the audience is treated to crackling performances by Anita (Kaitlyn Boyer), Lorraine’s daughter, Robert (Avery Glymph), and Sophie, Robert’s wife (Katie Debuys). Family relationships are hashed over, and plans for the disposal of Gloria’s house proposed and contested.
Maggie has the best lines. When the cremation of Gloria’s body is suggested, she replies, “We don’t cook our people!” And another, and (I confess) rather baffling exclamation, “Don’t shoot the goose because the chicken never laid the egg!”
Robert, it appears, is a bit of a scam artist. He tries to persuade his uncle Vince (Doug Brown) to fall in with his plan to sell the house, which Lorraine opposes. She is trying to exorcize Gloria’s spirit from the house and her own psyche, when a visit from Trudy, Gloria’s daughter left behind years ago, makes an entrance which electrifies the play.
Trudy (Joy Demichelle) brings presents from Jamaica (including the all-important rum) for everyone, but more importantly, she’s a life-force which pushes all of the family towards confrontation of their personal demons. The resolution of old issues moves the play towards its climax, together with the final resting of Gloria’s perturbed spirit.
Round House is continuing its own tradition of matching the offerings in its Fourth Wall Bar and Café to the current production. It has partnered with Negril Jamaican Eatery, a venerable (over 40 years!) establishment with several locations in the area, to provide curries, patties, and coco bread together with one nod to the London setting of Nine Night, a banger sausage sandwich. For sweets and drinks, rum cake, sorrel (hibiscus) tea and Ting (Jamaican grapefruit soda) are available, along with three custom-designed bourbon and rum cocktails.
