While in rehearsals for her latest stage production, Shanique Brown was reintroduced to one of the most feared characters in Jamaican folklore. It has helped put the edge on the actress’s role as Jane Doe.

She is the foil to Bruce “John” Hunter, a ladies’ man played by Glen Campbell, in The Gallis And The Rolling Calf.

Written by Patrick Brown for Jambiz International, the play opened in August at the Courtleigh Auditorium.

“So far, it’s been amazing seeing how audiences have embraced the story, the characters, and the aspects of our culture surrounding ‘rolling calf’. Every time I hear them sing a particular song during the show I’m filled with so much pride,” said Brown in an interview with the Jamaica Observer.

She alternates with Renae Williams as Jane Doe, with Courtney Wilson and Desmond Dennis completing the cast.

The rolling calf, a rabid ox that drove fear into the superstitious for decades, is a central theme of Patrick Brown’s dark comedy.

The Gallis And The Rolling Calf marks Brown’s Jambiz International début. Previously, the Spanish Town-raised creative appeared in productions by the University Players (Whiplash), Dahlia Harris (Pull Up and God’s Way); and television commercials for corporate entities such as Flow.

Brown joked that working alongside Jambiz International’s stock players like Campbell and Wilson has been “terrifying”.

She added that: “Working in my first Jambiz International production has been something I can now tick on my bucket list. I’ve had the utmost respect for how they treat, present, and represent our craft, so being invited into that process has been a blessing and an honour.”

The Gallis And The Rolling Calf continues on Saturday and Sunday with shows at 5:00 pm and 8:00 pm.

— Howard Campbell