The Bogota Anglo Theater does The Eight Reindeer Monologues

Rudolph is nowhere to be seen, Santa is on trial, and the deepest darkest secrets of the North Pole are about to be revealed. The dark comedy that is The Eight Reindeer Monologues could get even the most scrooge-like of us in the festive mood.

For me, the best line of the show, delivered wonderfully by Miguel Perilla as Cupid, was: “The man has been a walking, talking, holly-jolly sex crime waiting to happen for years now.” Clearly not advisable to bring your kids, and I most definitely won’t be able to think of Santa in the same way again.

I caught up with the director and founder of the Bogota Anglo Theater, Tigre Hall, before the dress rehearsal began. I wanted to know what drove him to found a theatre company of exclusively English-speaking productions, and he had this to say, “No one was even doing productions in English let alone had a whole theatre company dedicated to it”. It seems he really found a niche in the market.

What really impressed me was the standard of the acting; each actor genuinely got into their role. From the intense performance of Andrés Londoño as Dasher, lead reindeer, to the hilarious act by Fiona Horsey as Dancer, the monologues really keep you entertained.

However, the dark horse was most definitely Henley Varner II as Donner, Rudolph’s father. Considering it was his first time acting he owned the role and you really could believe he was a tough parent that just wanted the best for his son.

The BAT might be starting out but it is clear that Hall has not compromised one bit on quality. If this production is anything to go by the BAT will go from strength to strength and I look forward to seeing more of their productions in the future.

Les Chateaux de Pascal, Carrera 11 #84-40. Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8pm. November 17 – December 2. Tickets $45,000 (includes a glass of wine).

By Daniel Steel