The New Canadian Curling Club: Delightful immigration comedy with deeper aspirations
The New Canadian Curling Club Photo Randy deKlein-Stinson
In the context of these politically divisive times, the message of Mark Crawford’s recent play, The New Canadian Curling Club, is undoubtedly well-intentioned. The story of four immigrants who take up curling for the first time and overcome the prejudice of their coach (who undergoes a conversion of his own) makes for a feel-good show overall which imparts valuable lessons about belonging and acceptance. This production at TIP, directed by Andrew Kushnir, also makes the most of the play’s many comedic moments, drawing plenty of laughs from the audience. There are moments, however, which occasionally took me out of the immediate action of the play and seemed to be awkwardly placed. While the main story of Crawford’s play is solid, certain subplots are handled clumsily. …