| By NANCY WEATHERLEY

THE TROUBLE with

Nostalgia is that so often the

nasty parts of life are forgot-
| ten and the past is gilded
- over with sentiment. When
emotion clouds reality,
everything from a world war
to a small town rock and roll
band can be made to look
glamorous.

But John Gray, in his own
inimitable way, has taken
both these subjects and
shown the reality beneath
the hype.

In Billy Bishop Goes to
War, World War I is seen
_pfbrough the eyes of a less
“than heroic flyer who
“becomes a herg for all the

tong reasons. In Rock and

sRoll, now playing at the

“Wancouver East Cultural

iat ‘Centre, fifties nostalgia is the
oe subject.

8S Phere is wonderful visual

“irony in using a cast of adults

whip’ ‘dress up like teenage

Get to flash back to their

ahirt - ‘ygars of glory in the

sogall town of Mushaboom,

‘Nova Scotia. Their trumped

“up: appearance is as absurd

kis the youthful dressing they
“have put on their middle-
waged memories as they
{' prepare to make a comeback
appearance in 1980.
a Making various § ap-
: |, pearances throughout to
narrate the proceedings is
am othe ghost of Screamin’ John.
_octhe crazy singer who gocs
ic, the limit and beyond. Eric
: o Petersen, who gave so much
‘in Billy Bishop, is almost as
*good as Screamin’ John, the
' > sarcastic cynical voice of the
.- “play. He is the oracic to the
. «Lest of the cast, who become
iis chorus. The interplay of
7 ‘Screamin’ John andthe
wos “Monarchs provides some

e years

Cl6 - Wednesday, August 24, 1983 - North Shore News

hilarious moments and some
painfully sarcastic ones.

The cast is brilliant. An-
drew Rhodes plays Brent
(I'm so dull I nod off just
thinking about myself), Babs
Chula is Brent’s sweetheart
who wants to be a singer if
the boys would let her.

Frank Mackay is Parker,
the fat boy with the great
voice who rolls more than he
rocks. He was a member of
the Lincoins with John Gray,
the band on which the
Monarchs in Rock and Roll
are based.

Chink and Manny, the
poor boy and the rich kid
who can't get along, are
played by Jay Brazeau and
Alec Willows, while John
Gray sits out of sight but
never out of mind playing
piano.

Rock and Roll is a treat
not to be misséd in its limited
Vancouver run, the first stop
of the play's national tour.

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wt

I went to see STYX in Montreal and
then | went to see a group called
GILT... they’re Canadian, and as far
as | was concerned, the best group
was GILT. They looked young, fresh
and energetic.”

THE POLICE WILL BE

COUVER AUGUST 31..
GILTIHNIT!

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