Mellow Drama are bringing Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore’s e-mail comedy of errors, You’ve Got Hate Mail, to St James Cavalier. Coryse Borg has more details

In this age of e-mail and smartphone usage, I’m sure the vast majority of people reading this article have had at least one cringe-making, face-reddening moment when they sent a text or e-mail to the wrong person. I know I have. There’s nothing quite like that heart-stopping feeling you get when you press the send button and realise – just a split-second too late – what exactly it is that you have done...

The latest comedy presented by Mellow Drama – You’ve Got Hate Mail – takes that concept and works it up into a pure farce.

This hilarious play written by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore is a new Off-Broadway play told entirely through e-mails sent from laptops, iPhones and Blackberries and is guaranteed to have audiences ROTFL-ing and LOL-ing in the aisles.

The story focuses on high-flying lawyer Richard, who can’t keep his hands to himself. In an attempt to keep his wife, Stefanie, happy at home he buys her a laptop, suddenly giving her a window to the world of online communication. One day, Richard accidently sends an e-mail to Stefanie, which had actually been intended for his lover Wanda. What ensues is a frantic and hysterical story packed with twists and turns, as the couple’s best friends – Peg and George – get caught up in the tangled web of lies and deceit. The local production of You’ve Got Hate Mail stars John Montanaro, Julia Calvert, Wesley Ellul, Pia Zammit and Jo Caruana.

Director James Calvert says that that this play is simply just good fun… and he is fairly confident that audiences will leave with huge smiles on their faces:

“Every once in a while you come across a script that tickles your fancy from the word go. And You’ve Got Hate Mail was one of those – I loved it from the very first page. More than anything the subject matter itself is so easy to relate to.

“Moreover, the cast is superb and they manage to create their different characters with real conviction. So much so that by the end of the play you are almost willing things – good and bad – to happen to the five of them,” he says.

Mr Montanaro says that the main challenge for the actors is that they don’t interact directly; the whole play is done via e-mail.

“We only acknowledge each other at the curtain call! It’s very difficult for an actor, but the freshness of this script is great and the laughs flow fast and furiously,” he smiles.

Ms Zammit also acknowledges that the unusual format of the play has made it difficult for the actors to learn their lines!

“Because this isn’t a conventional format play but rather we are all in separate spaces/rooms and interacting solely by e-mail; it is really difficult to rely on sequence and location to help you remember your cues and what you’re going to say. Also, it’s really hard to not laugh at other people’s lines because I’m not supposed to be able to hear them!” she says.

According to Ms Caruana, You’ve Got Hate Mail is the perfect comedy for the Blackberry-tapping, laptop-carrying, iPad-swiping generation, as technology is completely omnipresent in this play, just as it is in our lives.

“Sending a message to the wrong person, or pressing send and regretting it five seconds later, is something we can all relate to, and there will be lots of gasps of ‘Oh no he didn’t!’ on the night, I’m sure,” she laughs.

Finally, Ms Calvert says that people should watch the show because “it’s original, with five people on laptops and mobiles, and the script is beautifully funny. People will thoroughly enjoy how the story unfolds.”

• The play runs at St James Cavalier this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, on June 10-12 and 17-19. All shows start at 8 p.m. Additionally, there will be two special late shows on June 11 and 18 starting at 10 p.m. Tickets may be obtained by phone on 2122 3200 or online: www.sjcav.org.

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