Jones and family tackle Shakespeare in Conception Harbour
By Olivia Bradbury / Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Veteran Newfoundland actor and comedian Andy Jone is back heading the cast at Perchance Theatre this summer, and this time he is sharing the stage with family.
Perchance Theatre in Conception Harbour is the only professional classical theatre company in Newfoundland. It normally puts on three plays a year, including at least one Shakespeare production, said the theatre’s administrative assistant Brittany King.
“And then there’s two other classics, and one of them is usually a Newfoundland play,” she added.
This summer the company is staging four plays. One is Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Danielle Irvine. There are over 30 people involved in the production including all those on and behind the stage, and among them is Jones and several members of his family.
Andy Jones has been working as an actor since 1972. He has worked in film, television, and theatre. Many Newfoundlanders might know him for his role on the television program CODCO, which ran from 1988 to 1991. Jones starred in 35 episodes of the show, the cast of which included Mary Walsh and Greg Malone. He has also had roles in shows such as Republic of Doyle and Little Dog, and is star of the internationally acclaimed The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood. Local comedy connoisseurs cherish him for his writing and performances in the hilarious radio series Letters from Uncle Val.
In theatre, Jones has acted, directed, and produced. He was involved with the earlier incarnation of Perchance Theatre that was in Cupids, and this summer is in the company at the new location in Conception Harbour. This will be Jones’ fourth Perchance Theatre production and probably the most special given some of the fellow cast members.
The comedy follows several simultaneous plots which eventually intertwine: a love triangle — or perhaps, more accurately, a love square — involving four characters, two of whom run away into the woods to be together and are subsequently followed by the others; a quarrel between the fairy king and queen over a changeling child; and a group of craftspeople who are themselves practicing a play in the woods. Jones plays Bottom, a craftsman who ends up unwittingly involved with the fairies; His daughter, actress Marthe Bernard, is plays Hermia, one of the lovers and lead roles; seven-and-a-half-year-old Frances Avalon McKeown, Bernard’s daughter and Andy’s granddaughter, plays both a fairy named Cobweb and the changeling child; and Jones’ great-niece, 15 year-old Olive Jones, plays a fairy named Moth.
Bernard has been racking up an acting resume nearly as long as her father’s. She had a main recurring role in Republic of Doyle, and starred in the movie Little Orphans, which included her daughter Frances, who was just two years old at the time.
Olive, who just completed tenth grade at Holy Heart of Mary High School, is in the school’s theatre program and has taken theatre classes, but this is her first time actually performing in a production. While she has always been interested in theatre, Olive said seeing her great-uncle Andy work provides inspiration.
“Just having him there and getting to watch him through it all is like, “Wow, that’s super cool, I want to do that,” Olive said. Her grandfather, Andy’s brother Mike Jones, was a filmmaker himself.
“He was the principal originator of the film industry in Newfoundland, really,” said Andy of his late brother.
Jones is enjoying working with his family.
“It’s great. I’m so happy that Danielle was willing to have us all this summer and give us a great summer,” he said.
Because of the production, Frances, her parents, and her 19-month-old sister Dorothy, will be home for the whole summer.
“We get to have the whole summer with our grandchildren,” said Andy.
While he and his great-niece, Olive, were in touch, said Jones, they had never really done anything together before, so the play has provided them an opportunity to really hang out for the first time.
Jones is also enjoying his character in this production. Bottom is a member of a group of craftspeople, also referred to as the mechanicals, who are themselves practicing a play within the play. Bottom, however, has an unexpected experience. “As Newfoundlanders would say, he was ‘fairy-led,'” said Jones.
“It’s a very silly play in many ways. It’s lots of fun.”
Jones appreciates Shakespeare’s legacy, and comedic chops. “His comedy characters are really funny,” he said. “You have to really dig sometimes to get the context, but he consistently comes through with great comedy.”
As far as Shakespeare goes, Perchance Theatre will also stage The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again] this summer. This is another comedy and will be directed by Richard Rose. The other two shows thisseason include High Steel, written by Mary Walsh and Richard Boland, and Tempting Providence, directed by Jillian Keiley.
Performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream will take place over the summer, with the last show on August 25th.