Lovelash - You Never Know

I didn’t know what to expect from “Lovelash”. I originally thought it was “Love Lash”, and therefore anticipated a mascara and drag queen show. But Entr’acte Studios from Scarborough, Ontario serves up a “whiplash from the heart”. And you never know what will hit you at the Fringe.

Thank you for the polished, well-published Playbill programme so that I could quote the Writer’s [Terrence Vince] Desk, which was very insightful. I was just happy to receive a programme at the venerable doors of The Cultch Historic Theatre (aka VECC) as the grande dame has had a facelift, but it felt good to be back at Venables Street after so long away.

 Feeling a little nostalgic put me back to the 90’s, even though the kids onstage were probably too young to remember they brought it back home to deliver da’ bomb.

 At first I was thinking it was like “Friends” meets “Glee” (though that's a guess as I have honestly never watched a full episode of either show). I was only recognizing that there was a lot of energetic, enthusiastic, fresh-faced young talent.

The action takes place inside of Mack’s Shack” bar- or outside of it if the actors put a plant on the apron of the stage. They aren’t afraid of breaking theatrical conventions - or nothing else for that matter! The fourth wall is often unabashedly broken, dancing in the aisles much to the delight of the clapping-along audience. 

The suave bartender Mack & swift sidekick hip-hop street-cred Spinach narrate & gyrate the love lash of relationships- in out up & down the couples. The five stages of grief are imparted to recently-widowed, loveable loser, Nathan Lane-like leading man Dan, who is on the rebound. Trey is on the prowl. Liz with a rolling suitcase is back in town from the big city.  And what about Carter & Nat? How will they all deal with relationships and romance?

 The dialogue is peppered with 90’s musical references, and meshes with music with song  and dance, which manages to flow quite naturally to tell the story.

Dancers in Guns N’ Roses & Nirvana t-ees harmonizing and the three girl bathroom stall pregnancy test belting out “Fuck You!” with their pants around their ankles is worth the price of admission alone.

 Life is too short to be taken too seriously.

Capture your moments of bliss.

I left the theatre feeling lighter and younger than before.