SHOWSTOPPER

Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast reviewed SHOWSTOPPER in PART 1 of our 3-part post-festival Review Roundup.

Click link for YouTube, or search for the audio-only version wherever you get your podcasts. TIMESTAMP: 45:51

TL;DL: Hard one to give a rating to. Mack acknowledges that it's a fairly well done version of what it's trying to be, but (unfortunately) he's not the right audience for it, and would have known that it wasn't for him had it been marketed as an absurdist play.

I just stepped out of SHOWSTOPPER at Soulpepper, and I am utterly spellbound.

What starts as a chaotic dark comedy about an egomaniac TV showrunner quickly spirals into something incredibly moving. Stripped of a writers' room, Aster takes on every role themselves—spiraling through isolation before fighting to regain a grip on reality alongside an assistant-therapist in a beautiful, hope-filled race against time to silence their inner demons.

The story takes a profound turn that completely caught me off guard, brilliantly revealing that true healing doesn't come from public validation, but from the quiet discipline of self-discovery and the bravery to let go.

It’s a spectacular debut that strikes a massive chord regarding mental wellness and humanity. Highly recommend catching it before it closes on July 10th!