By Nadine Rayner
Meet Mr Jimmy Sutcliffe, also known as Tomes, Sam Daily, Jerome, Keckwick, Landlord and Actor. Why? Well, this engaging young man who has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies plays all of these roles in Repertory Theatre’s upcoming production of The Woman in Black.
Essentially this play is a “two hander”, meaning that there are only two actors who have speaking parts. Kipps, the lawyer, is played by Isham Redford while Jimmy is the Actor. Kipps tells the story and different scenes are acted out as the story unfolds, Kipps being himself and the Actor becoming all the different characters he interacts with.
It’s quite a demanding role but is Jimmy enjoying it? “Yes! It’s like a play within a play and you take the audience along on that ride with you.” Is it difficult? “No, not really because I’ve done it before. When I was in Baskerville I played 10 different characters. I like using different accents too.”
Of all the characters in The Woman in Black which ones are his favourites? “I like Keckwick (the cart driver). He’s more of a character and I can use a totally different voice for him. I also like being the bartender. It’s a fun little scene and there are bigger reactions while the other characters are more subdued.”
