Butcher at the Baby Grand Theatre Kingston: a darkly theatrical experience

 

Butcher at the Grand Theatre, Kingston On,  Greg Wanless as the old man.

Any play that’s able to keep its audience fully captivated from start to finish is an exceptional one. Nicolas Billon’s mystery thriller Butcher is unreservedly such a play, and its effectiveness is further heightened by the smart staging and design choices of Theatre Kingston’s production. Directed by Kathryn MacKay, this production provides a special sense of immediacy being staged in the black box space of the Baby Grand within the Grand Theatre. The stage, set up with three rows of seating on either side of it, allows each audience member to constantly be privy to what’s happening in the play. This configuration makes the play’s impact all the more visceral.

Opening with a lawyer storming into a room where an older man in custody and a police inspector are currently sitting, Butcher instantly piques the viewer’s intrigue. It is quickly  established that the older man (Greg Wanless), sporting the odd combination of a Santa hat and military uniform, was brought to the police station (which is later revealed to be in Toronto) by a couple of concerned teenagers. He has a severe foot injury, cannot speak English and has a copy of the lawyer’s business card with “Arrest me now” on it. What at first seems to be a mystery of unsolvable identity progressively  becomes  something much bigger and frightening. Lawyer Hamilton Barnes (Jacob James) and Inspector Lamb (Doug Harmsen) initially argue over what should be done with the man, before seeing the extent of his injuries. As they prepare to take him to the hospital, a translator named Elena (Zoe Sweet) conveniently arrives. Her recognition of his uniform leads to a shocking revelation: this old man is not just a former soldier, but a high-ranking general in the genocidal Lavinian government (a fictional eastern European country) wanted by Interpol. Elena, as it later turns out, was among those directly traumatized by his actions. What follows this discovery is a difficult examination of the lengths which victims of atrocities can and should go, in order to seek justice.

The acting in this production is superb and lends further credibility to the events occurring onstage. Doug Harmsen perfectly nails the role of the gritty and humorously uncouth inspector, garnering plenty of laughter from the audience. His character and the more polished lawyer Barnes, portrayed in an appropriately dignified manner by Jacob James, play off each other well. Zoe Sweet is thoroughly believable as Elena, whose anger and zeal for justice comes across clearly (if a little bit exaggerated). Greg Wanless, as the old general, provides a defiant and heavy presence.

The technical effects and staging do much to heighten the suspenseful atmosphere, especially during the scene transitions. The sound of rain pouring outside and the visible flashes of lightning through the station window cast the night on which this play is set (Christmas Eve no less) as a dreary one. The colourful lighting used during transitions, combined with the slower movements of the actors, cleverly dramatizes what happens between the “official” scenes to maximum effect.

In consideration of this amply capable production, my only caveat is with the script. While the questions it raises surrounding the morality of vengeance are well-taken and certainly worth thinking more about, I found the number of plot twists to be a bit contrived. Without giving too much away, it seemed that all the twists are designed to conveniently direct the play towards the relatively simplified ending that the playwright was aiming for. Caveat aside, Butcher is still a unique piece of theatre whose dramatic potential is well-served in this production.

Butcher runs until November 11 at the Grand Theatre in Kingston, ON. For information and tickets, see https://www.theatrekingston.com/butcher.html

A Theatre Kingston Production

Playwright: Nicolas Billon

Crew

Director: Kathryn MacKay
Assistant Director, Light and Sound Tech: Mariah Horner
Stage Manager: Sarah O’Brien
Assistant Stage Manager: Carly Altberg
Costume Design: Andrea Robertson Walker
Set & Lighting Design: Steve Lucas
Sound Design: Jesse MacMillan

Cast

Inspector Lamb: Doug Harmsen
Hamilton Barnes: Jacob James
Elena: Zoe Sweet
Josef (old man): Greg Wanless
Jane Marlo Nerenberg: Girl