Gaudrath: evolution of a man made of clay
*Gaudrath* is a somewhat misleading title for this modernistic urban fable by Eric Hopkins, produced by Back Burner Productions. The central story is certainly driven by the enigmatic character after which the play is named (played by Andrew Cromey, but the real thematic meat of the show is courtesy of the Golem (Leeman Kessler), Gaudrath’s violent companion made of clay and loosely based on the supernatural creature from Jewish holy stories.
When Gaudrath is brought news of his wife’s unexplained departure in the form of a note delivered by the vulnerable and infantile Golem, he sets off to find her with his new companion. His instincts leads him to his wife’s sisters, the maniacal and childlike scientist Heidi and the prickly swamp denizen (both played by Laura Collu), Eve, who are limited in their helpfulness to Gaudrath, but prove to be of particular attraction to the Golem. It is with the provocation of the two sisters that the Golem evolves from sniveling underling to sentient and steely creature.
Despite the great potential for a rolling narrative, Hopkins instead focuses on crafting a strong literary piece with plenty of linguistic flourish and strong back and forth dialogue. Although the play is essentially about a quest, it takes a back seat to the characters who are, anyway, far more compelling. The choice to present the story in a non-linear manner is an unnecessary distraction, but thankfully things are kept on track by the Fabler (Caitlin Morris-Cornfield), a perky and whimsical fourth wall breaking narrator who proves to be one of the highlights of the show.
Direction from Joseph Pagnan manages to bring a sense of unity to the performances, but could have done more to better define the scenes from one another - despite the rather limited technical constraints of the performance space. Performances are generally strong with Kessler aptly creeping everyone out as the sickly Golem, Collu showing off her versatility and creative spunk as the quirky sisters, and Morris-Cornfield teasing a few good laughs out of the audience as the Fabler.
One of the simplest and most effective touches of the show was the decision to leave the bay window behind the performers uncovered. The dark city scape it offers (complete with steam plumes) makes for a thematically perfect and visually arresting backdrop to the gritty tale.
_Gaudrath by Eric Hopkins; Back Burner Productions presents; Directed by Joseph Pagnan; Designed by Guy Doucette and Holly Lloyd; Featuring Laura Alessandra Collu, Andrew Cromey, Leeman Kessler, Caitlin Morris-Cornfield; at the Adelaide Centre for the Arts in Toronto, closes February 8th Please call for reservations: 416 400 4194._