What the Butler Saw

Once again, I am left wondering why Soul Pepper continues to produce dated chestnuts like this one. They have a talented company who deserve to be better used. And a faithful audience who should get to see something funny when the play is designated a comedy.
This play may have been shocking and very funny in 1969, but it is so dated now that it is just silly. The only reason to do this play would be to update it and deal with relevant jokes. Even then, I am not convinced it would be worth the effort.
Despite the forgoing I did not hate the production. The cast was excellent and did manage to make me laugh.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona

Shakespeare at the Studio is a new experience - very intimate and fun.
This is a silly play, where the funniest performance was given by the dog, with good support from his master Robert Persichini (Launce) and his friend Bruce Dow (Speed.)

Dion Johnstone (Valentine) and Gareth Potter (Proteus) were delightful leading men, busy wooing Sophie Walker (Julia) and Claire Lautier (Silvia). The usual chaos ensues, but the lovers come together at the end.

A silly play that might have been funnier if it were not the last of eight plays in five days!

The Tempest

Christopher Plummer's star power may be pulling them in, but the production as a whole is worth praise and the standing ovation it received at the end.
Des McAnuff used the special effects brillaintly in this production - not only using the stage, but the whole theatre to great effect. Everything came together into a wonderful production.
Plummer's Prospero was note perfect - the smallest gestures had meaning and made sense. His was a very human Prospero, but no less magical for that.
Trish Lundstrom and Gareth Potter were well matched as the young lovers. Julyana Soelisto was a marvellous Ariel - not a waif, but definitely a spirit. Dion Johnston was anguished as Caliban - it was hard to remember that this role can also be played for laughs.
But for laughs we had Bruce Dow and Geraint Wynn Davies as Trinculo and STephano. Both were hilarious and the comedy never got in the way of the story but added to it. McAnuff really seems to know how to direct the low parts.
Fantastic production - a sell out for the season.

Do Not go Gentle

Geraint Wynn Davies and Dylan Thomas - an outstanding combination. Thomas as a poet competes with Thomas the drunk, and Wynn Davies makes both totally believable.
Funny and sad and beautiful. Just excellent.

The Winter's Tale

A very spare and elegant interpretation of the play. Ben Carlson was great as Leontes - a difficult role to play since the jealousy is so irrational and appears so suddenly. Dan Chameroy was very good as his counterpart and friend Polixenes. Yann McIntosh was also excellent as Hermione, as was Cara Ricketts as Perdita. But the two comedians stole the show - Tom Rooney as Autolycus the thief and Mike Shara as Young Shepherd. Rooney even engaged the audience using his beggar bowl to get more laughs.
Sean McKenna as Paulina was of course outstanding. It is amazing to think that the last time we saw this play, Patricia Hamilton played this part for laughs, by lisping. McKenna's interpretation was very different - very serious, very much the advocate. I think it fits the play better.

Dangerous Liaisons

Evil or just bored and amoral? Seana McKenna (La Marquise de Merteuil) and Tom McCamus (Le Vicomte de Valmont) were brilliant as the twosome competing to see who could cause the most trouble.
The two victims Sara Topham (Le Presidente de Tourvel) and Bethany Jillard (Cecile Volanges) had no chance in the face of the determined pair.
The bystanders - Martha Henry (MMe de Rosemonde), Yanna McIntosh (Mme de Volanges) and Michael Therriault (Le chevalier Danceny) are oblivious to the danger and to the results. Strong performances all around. Fabulous costumes and great use of the Festival stage.

Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris

We saw this performed in the early 70's and remembered enjoying it. But once the music began, I realized that we must have bought the album and played it a lot! Unfortunatley it did not make the transition from album thrugh cassette to cd. Immediately after the show Keith downloaded the original sound track - interestngly the Stratford cast sounds better.
The cast was fantastic - even the understudy was fantastic. Brent Carver, Mike Nadajewski, Jewelle Blackman and Robin Hutton all have wonderful voices. My only complaint was that Robin Hutton is clearly not a French speaker, so her phrasing in Ne Me Quitte Pas was off.
Brilliantly staged with a new musical orchestration by Rick Fox, this productin was just wonderful. Stafford Arima is clearly a director to watch out for.

For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again

A two person play is do dependent on great casting and this play had it in spades. Lucy Peacock as Nana and Tom Rooney as the Narrator were both perfect. Tom Rooney was the quiet observer who grows up during the play, but always remains close to Nana. He sees through her bluster to the love behind it and loves her for it.
Lucy Peacock plays the part as a larger than life figure - a womn who wants attention and loves to tell stories to get it. The pace and volume are fast and loud and intense to the point of exhaustion for her and the audience.
I saw this play performed in French a few years ago and do not remember Nana being so intense, but it certainly worked for Lucy Peacock. The energy did not prevent her from bringing things down in the moments of tenderness. When she puts her arms around her son, you almost have to cry.

As You Like It

I don't like this play and didn't particularly like this production. The surreal theme was visually interesting, but I could not find the point of it.
A number of performances stood out - Brent Carver as a very melancholy Jaques; Ben Carlson as Touichstone and Lucy Peacock as Audrey. The lead roles were competently performed but did not capture me enough to remember who played them.
I liked the music and the way it was integrated into the production.
At the seminar Lucy Peacock confided that there was something we should know about Audrey "I have a dog - a Saint Bernard!" It did explain everything.
Des McAnuff directed this production and it was certainly full of his touches and liking for the spectacular, but it did not work for me.