As amateur performances go, The Bermuda Musical and Dramatic Society's most recent production went well.

David Mamet's `Glengarry Glen Ross' opened at Daylesford Theatre on Monday night and was entertaining. While most of the actors were not strong enough to truly carry off the piece, they did seem to get better as the play progressed. A party of six seated in front me did not have the patience to make that discovery and left after the intermission. Not having seen the play before nor the movie version I've heard so many rave about, I had no preconceptions about it.

Four in the cast of seven held their parts very well indeed. Phillip Jones was undoubtedly the best. His portrayal of Dave Moss as a cunning, loud mouthed complainer, was on the mark, completely believable and in fact so well done that he highlighted that other actors were not very good.

Andra Simons can always be counted on to pull his weight in a production and he didn't let down audiences here. His character George Aaronow was perhaps the most complex in the play. A somewhat timid, not slick, even a bit slow salesman, he appeared to be easily persuaded when in fact he was not. He was his own man and able to say no when that's what he meant. Expertly delivered, Andra soon had the audience not only sympathetic to his plight but also looking forward to his every utterance. He also got the most laughs.

The two minor roles of James Lingk, a nervous weak man who has been conned into buying some real estate, and Baylen, the no nonsense police detective, were played by two other actors worth commending on their performance.

Debbie Pharoah was every bit the authoritative investigator and Steve Watts somehow managed to look puny as he trembled and tried to be assertive in getting his down payment cheque back.

The story is about real estate salesmen and the difficulties and unscrupulous tactics they employ to close a deal.

Alan Smith, playing the slick fast talking Richard Roma, was too stiff especially in the first act where he seemed to be simply delivering his lines. He was much better in the second act.

While most of the acting was clearly amateur, the set design rivalled any that might be used by professionals. Scene changes in the first act had the audience trying to understand the relevance of changing the Chinese wall hanging. It was an interesting detail done I believe so that you would see that the conversations in the restaurant , took place at different tables.

The set for act two of a ransacked office, had all sorts of little details that could almost serve to detract from the action on stage. I found myself noting down that there was a chalkboard with the names of the agents, a bulletin board full of little memos and brochures, business cards and almost everything you would expect to see in a realty office. Having the clock on the wall actually work, might have been the only detail the set people left out.

Glengarry Glen Ross runs until Saturday April 12 at Daylesford Theatre. Tickets are $15 and performances start at 8 p.m.