Up to Low: Musical adaptation has theatrical merit but falters on plot
Reviewed by Natasha Lomonossoff on May 4th, 2018
The English theatre season at the NAC is closing with what is meant to be a feel-good musical on life in the rural Gatineau Hills during a more idyllic time (or at least, the 1950s). Based on a book of the same name by popular local writer Brian Doyle, Up to Low tells of the journey which 15-year old Tommy takes with his dad and a family friend from Ottawa up to their cottage in Low, Quebec. The strength of this production, adapted and directed by Janet Irwin with musical direction by Ian Tamblyn, lies more in its theatrical deliverance of the material than the plotline itself. What initially seems to be a comedic road trip turns into a somewhat shoehorned lesson about healing and forgiveness; by the end of the show, it’s not clear exactly what the significance of this lesson is to Tommy or how it relates to his family’s stay in Low.
Story faults aside, Up to Low has many positive elements as a theatrical production. Much of the acting is appropriately energetic and vivid, lighting is especially outstanding, choreography is well-executed, and the string band provides delightful music. Of the characters, the strongest portrayals come from Brendan McMurtry-Howlett as Tommy and Megan Carty as Baby Bridget, his eventual love interest whom he meets in Low. McMurtry-Howlett gives a well-realized performance as a teenage boy whose experiences in cottage country are eminently relatable (from exploring foresty territory to sitting through boring familial conversations). Carty gives a similarly credible performance as Bridget, whose self-sufficiency and no-nonsense attitude is made evident when she casually picks binder leaves with her one arm as Tommy watches in amazement. Other notable performances come from Attila Clemann as the drunken family friend Frank, Pierre Brault as the eccentric healing man Hummer, and Kristina Watt as extreme germaphobe Aunt Dottie.
Lighting design by Martin Conboy is amazingly vivid and reflective of the action that occurs onstage. The dream sequences which Tommy experiences are a perfect example of this, as dark blue light is used to give an air of eeriness and much of the central stage is darkened, turning the woodsy set into a black abyss. The set itself, designed by Brian Smith, does not quite have the same power of illusion. An entirely wooden backdrop with period-style furniture and items, it does not lend itself easily to imagining the Gatineau landscape that is described by characters throughout the show (though the actors do a decent job of utilizing the space to create impressions of actions such as driving or canoeing).
On the musical front, both the string band consisting of violins, a cello and fiddles, and choreography are effective. The brief instrumental performance before the show begins and the synchronized moving of the other actors as a sinister force around Tommy as he experiences a nightmare are particular highlights on this front.
Though the plotline is a bit uneven and more fantastic compared to the musical’s old-time setting, the theatrical deliverance of Up to Low still merits its status as a respectable production overall.
Up to Low continues at the NAC’s Babs Asper Theatre until May 19.