Charles Hayter
Haggis really connected with the audience but the show felt like a series of disconnected stories with no overarching arc or transformation. We never find out how the experience of being a lifeguard changed her. I found this disappointing in view of the cred of some of the people who were involved in creating the show.
A fun premise, but too much slapstick and telegraphing of ‘look how funny I am’ for my taste. The lyrics were mostly unintelligible due to the loudness of the recorded accompaniment.
An overcrowded story with too many characters and plot lines, and reliance on one-line political jokes to carry the humour. The one really bright spot is the always enchanting and focussed performance of Jane Smythe as Abby, a disgruntled American trying to get a foothold in Canada by work or marriage. If the rest of the silliness was stripped away to focus on this character’s arc, the show would be much stronger.
A promising story and some briefly effective moments between characters, but the whole thing is dragged down by clunky transitions and ploddingly slow pacing of dialogue (you could drive a truck through some of those pauses).
I never really felt fully connected with the characters, partly because the show is staged on a traditional proscenium stage elevated above the audience which creates distance. A far more effective staging would be to perform this play in the round, so the audience feels part of the action (immersed in the seminar).
Finally, the play needs some major dramaturgy, e.g., advancing the story of the professor’s personal life to earlier in the play (we don’t learn anything about this character until very late).
A great solo performance by Jaeli Bruno anchors this story of an Indigenous teenager struggling with issues of racial and sexual identity against a background of sexual abuse. Bruno swivels effortlessly between multiple characters ranging from her best friend to her father. At times I felt a bit overwhelmed by the number of issues raised in the story and I wonder if the show would benefit from some cutting and tightening.
By turns hilarious and heartwarming, this show charts the course of a couple from first encounter to old age. Two seasoned comic pros Alex Dallas and Jimmy Hogg bring the characters and scenes to vivid life, making for a rich and powerful hour of entertainment. The show will resonate with anyone who has British roots, but anyone in a relationship will relate to this couple’s ups and downs.
Lively energetic cast who sing and dance their heart out to some great tunes with witty lyrics worthy of W.S. Gilbert. Great fun, but the show in its present form at present feels like a series of vignettes or skits with no unifying through-line or story.