Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit weaves a serious thread into his ghostly comedy. In a less happy balance, the current Ottawa Little Theatre production is a mix of careful attention to detail and some unfortunate sloppiness and occasional missteps.

Blithe Spirit, in part the comic account of the unforeseen consequences of a séance undertaken for an insincere purpose, also depicts the two unsuccessful marriages of a heartless man to the flirtatious, ethereal Elvira (even before she was a ghost) and the pragmatic and socially proper Ruth.

 

The marital spats between socialite, novelist Charles Condomine and his two wives and the tug-of-war between the two women are among the strongest scenes in the script, while the colourful medium Madame Arcati is the most memorable character.

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Tess McManus : Donkey Derby. Photo Allan Mackey

Sometimes when one has no expectations at all, an evening can turn out to be a most gratifying event. This is what happened last night at the Avalon Theatre where two monologues are currently on stage. Donkey Derby with Tess McManus is nothing less than a jewel of a performance. The actress transformed herself into a troubled Irish lass, hiding in a barn alone with Percy her donkey, just before the “donkey derby” begins. The young lady has panicked and locked herself in with her dear animal. She has to talk to him (to the audience in fact) through her state of nerves because she is paralysed and unable to face the competition.

Megan Carty. Photo Allan Mackey.

The rest of the 45 minutes explains it all. Closed in that barn alone with her dear donkey she pours out all her fears, her troubling memories, the traumatic moments that marked her for life. A mass of unanswered questions well up and she finds herself, seeking answers to the many disturbing reactions that have always sent electrical charges of emotion racing through her mind, that have challenged her life choices,. The text is beautifully constructed. Little by little the psychic obstacles are unveiled: the deep seated encounters that haunt her bring her back to violent family relations, the tense political situation in Ireland that left its stain on her own relations with the world as the race becomes an image that takes over her life. .. McManus has cleverly woven multiple levels of human relations into the memories and experiences of this girl and they all come pouring out as she stands there in front of her Percy who luckily, never says a word.

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“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom and Jeffrey Hatcher based on Mitch Albom’s book is currently running at the 1000 Islands Playhouse. It’s such a good production of such a good play that this is an easy review to write. All I really want to say is don’t miss it, but I guess that’s a little too brief.

The play is the story of Mitch, a career-obsessed sports journalist, who reunites after many years with Morrie, his undergraduate mentor at Brandies. Morrie is battling ALS and Mitch is consumed by his job. The initial visit becomes weekly as Morrie teaches his former student a final lesson – how to live.

The two actors are exceptional. Mitch is played by Geoffrey Pounsett, making his 1000 Islands Playhouse debut. He gives us a Mitch who is a complex character. He grows and changes as he searches for the answer to Morrie’s question, “Are you at peace with yourself?” He’s also a first-rate pianist. …

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