A breeze off the water, the constant nautical call of a ship’s horn, an enthusiastic barking of a dog, and a familiar melody on a fuzzy radio mingle together to greet the audience of The Lyric Stage Company’s production of Groundswell and envelop us in a very specific time and place.  This New England Premiere doesn’t hold back in weighty subject matter and impassioned performances, making it an absolute winner in my book (especially when compared with Lyric’s previously dull offering of Dead Man’s Cell Phone).

Groundswell, a tension packed 90 minutes conceived by Ian Bruce, centers around a hotel dining room in a South African port town.  Three men, Thami, the hotel’s gardener and caretaker, Johan, the hotel’s odd-job man, and Smith, a traveling business man, find themselves locked in a volatile discussion over the rights and duties of African citizens in the face of apartheid.  More than just philosophical banter and political ideology, Bruce masterfully crafts a story of sophisticated layers, intentioned by the desires and history woven into each character.  The play’s explosive climax leaves the audience breathless in a wave of emotion.

A word about the diamond business.  This play gives the audience a look into a trade that very few of us have more than a vague awareness of.  Terminology and syntax could have completely gotten in the way of the storytelling- but it didn’t.  Bruce has put together a slice of history packed with human tragedy and very serious social implications, and packaged it in an entirely tangible way.  The direction of Daniel Gidron helped to guide the actors in exceptional comprehension for the audience.

While it is initially difficult to grasp all that is being said in the opening scene, Jason Bowen’s portrayal of the passionate, thoughtful, Thami soon melts into our consciousness in a way that makes it hard to believe we don’t hear South-African accents on a daily basis.  He completely embodies his character; physically underwhelming, perfectly innocent- it makes his unraveling even more unexpected.

Timothy John Smith packs quite a wallop as Johan, repair-man-ex-cop extraordinaire.  Coupled with Bruce’s excellent script and Smith’s perfect timing, the character of Johan is more than just imposing, he taps into our most basic fear of seeing someone just teetering on the edge of sanity.   Smith and Bowen’s argument toward the end of the play is one of the best I have seen on the stage (or in reality).  I actually believed I was watching the real disintegration of a very important relationship.

Richard McElvain plays Smith, a businessman who is also no stranger to a good verbal row.  McElvain is perfect.  Lost in the somewhat dumpy and frumpy exterior of a middle-aged man, the audience is completely caught off-guard by his passion and bravery, and McElvain plays it up- every movement, every word is carefully weighted and measured for the best impact.

I am really looking forward to seeing what else Ian Bruce has in store for audiences- I would certainly consider him a note-worthy up and coming playwright.  The Lyric Stage Company provides a solid production, and as I have come to expect from them, classy customer service, and excellent on-site attention.  I’ll be back for their February offering, Legacy of Light.

Smith and McElvain tussle.