Firstly: as an Indigenous theatregoer, I can really appreciate when producers include a personalized (and thorough) land acknowledgement before their shows rather than using the weak recordings supplied by the festival. Props to Cathexis for giving us space and for including a well-considered acknowledgement that doesn’t dance around the issues that it is intended to address.

This company has found a niche satirical voice in their productions over the years, and their shows often comment on the dark societal forces that gleefully plaster an attractive veneer over the destructive hunger that sits in our cultural underbelly. If you are a fan of Cathexis Theatre’s colourful (and treacherous) musical worlds, Scamway will definitely serve you another satisfying adventure where a good-hearted, headstrong person get seduced by the worst of us.

Sensory-wise though, I admittedly experienced a few difficulties watching this show. I sat in the audience and was trying to discern what the voices in pre-show sound design were saying. The Playhouse is a very intimate venue, and with a nearly full house chatting away, I was frustrated that there were too many conversations happening that I couldn’t enjoy the nuances and content of that dialogue.

Also, because the stage is rather narrow, it is nearly impossible to light only a small section. Thus, scene changes felt fully lit and it was a little hairy when scenes started in the foreground before strike fully completed in the background. With an ADHD brain, I really struggled to focus my attention need the help of the director to draw my eye to what is important. A little more care with staging transitions might’ve helped that.