Photo: Barb Gray (Capital Critics Circle)

Le Financier (Turcaret ou le financier) d’Alain-René Lesage, mise en scène de Laurie Steven, adaptation en anglais de Laurie Steven et de Joanne Miller. . 

Cette première mondiale d’une adaptation canadienne an anglais  de Turcaret, le Financier d’après le texte de Lesage, a été réalisée à l’intention des acteurs masqués de la  Commedia dell’arte. Malgré les costumes d’époque d’une beauté extraordinaire, les masques d’une grande qualité artistique, la chorégraphie délicate de l’ensemble et un décor d’une grande sensualité qui s’inspire des tableaux de François Boucher, le résultat laisse beaucoup à désirer.

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Immolation. William Beddoes and Caitlin Corbett. Photo, Ottawa Fringe

A deeply passionate, romantic music announces  a dramatic encounter between two lovers, that quickly opens the door to the world of Immortals, or vampires or any one of those indestructible mythological creatures who have been together for 5 000 years, who have been constantly reborn in a new shape, have adapted to new life and are still going strong. Their special extra-human status is played out as a long, sinister love story lived as a series of deadly, cruel rituals that cross through the most violent periods of history and give energy to their existence. In this enclosed room, humankinds most deadly moments are remembered as experiences of pure evil, only possible because these individuals are shaped by extraordinary circumstances that nothing can change. Or can it! Or more to the point, why should it? They are accountable to no one; they have no remorse, no guilt. But, is it really loves that binds them, or is it the need for ongoing vengeance, for the heightened pleasure of the sadomasochistic hunt.? The play sets up an interesting state of existence that is extra-human, where the choice of “evil “deeds becomes extremely attractive and opens up a new consciousness.

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A show with mixed messages that seemed to be carried away by itself. 2 fourteen year olds in a grade 9 class are giving a talk about the salmon population and it rapidly becomes a training session to help us survive the coming apocalypse ( word not to be spoken!) of an earth that is dying , poisoned by toxic waste, and everything else. The whole list of those who are killing the planet comes down on us as the two children “play” at dying. Natural acting is indicated by mumbling and talking too quickly but there were images to watch if one couldn’t catch all the words. A lot of theatrics, a lot of naïve childish playing, a lot of sophisticated computer work, tv influences, shadow puppets, technological support,  an actress who dominates the stage with her beautiful singing voice and great stage presence, and an ending that completely subverts the message so all of it seems that we were the objects of a not so childish manipulation. It appeared that no one was in charge directing this. That might have helped.

And an audience that rose for a standing ovation??

Kitt and Jane by Kathleen Greenfield , Ingrid Hansen and Rod Peter Jr.

SNAFU productions

One good aspect of this performance was the sporadic use of  the Prague inspired Black light puppet figures . They introduced the evening , appeared in certain sketches and announced a playful atmosphere which dominated the evening of non stop comic sketches . The comic timing was very good, the pace was good, the skits followed each other rapidly, the evening progressed with no pauses and a lot of the individual characters that the actors produced worked very well. In fact they all appeared to be talented comics. Of course Gélinas is one of the more talented fixtures with the Company of Fools and his work is always excellent. I There were a few simple props and a curtain, suggesting the stage set for each “act” and that was it,but it was the writing that made them stumble. The skit I liked was the one in the science lab where two scientists are trying to uncover the mystery of the man eating flower…that looks like a daffodil. Also Richard Gélinas as the hyper turbaned Calif looking for a new “wife” was deliciously perverse …somehow though a lot of it didn’t fly. The ideas were not sharp enough, the humour fell flat. Very unequal show with people who could definitely have worked with much better material.

Wunderjammer by Richard Hamphill

A production of Punchbag Playhouse

Comedy sketches with Richard Gélinas, Jordan Hancey, Gabrielle Lazarovitz and Victoria Luloff