Ottawa Fringe Festival 2016: Love is a Battlefield gripping production

Concrete Drops (Brooklyn, N.Y.), The Courtroom

Credulity meets manipulation in this gripping, twist-and-turn of a two-hander by fringe favourite Martin Dockery. He plays a lost, naïve soul attempting to record a demo CD by a beautiful, rich songstress played by Vanessa Quesnelle. They squabble, drink, draw closer together, move apart as it slowly becomes clear that there’s more of a back story here than first appeared. To say much more would be to say too much, but the back story soon becomes front and centre as events grow darker and the characters – finely drawn by Dockery and compellingly embodied by both actors – slowly open up before us. That Dockery and Quesnelle are married in real life adds another dimension to the drama and heightens its intimate, almost voyeuristic air. This production marks the Canadian premiere of Love is a Battlefield, which is a welcome addition to Dockery’s canon. The Ottawa Fringe Festival continues until June 26. Tickets/information: Box offices and venues, 613-232-6162, ottawafringe.com