What can I say about this play The Cork Screw? OK, it’s a story about two women, Mary and Blanche. Blanche steals Mary’s boyfriend over and over and over and over and over and over again, back-stabbing her for years.
Theatre Terrific is back this year in its usual “fringe of the Fringe” venue at the gym in the Vancouver Japanese United Church out on Victoria Street. They are Western Canada's oldest theatre company for artists with disabilities, and they smartly take advantage of the Fringe to expose their work to audiences that are as yet unaware of it. Which is good, because TT offers an entirely unique and quite special theatrical experience.
First off, thank god the Fringe dropped the Pacific Theatre as one of their main venues. It's a fun little space but it was murder for any production not only because it was hurting their box office being off the island, but also forced productions to sometimes completely reblock their show because of the odd setup of having raked seating that faces each other.
A word of warning: it seems every year I review one play that turns into less a review and more of a fanboy gush. Last year it was the Jonno Katz comedy The Spy. This year it's going to be AfterLife, a flat-out superb piece of theatre.
The Lesson is Airbag Production's debut production, and it's a bold choice, especially considering they've decided to Fringe it. Going traditional and cerebral here brings with it the risk of seeming musty and institutional, and staying far away from the radar of the throngs of young theatre-goers lining up for Red Bastards and Cockwhisperers.
I heard of someone who walked out of the same show as I did, wanting their money back…. Wow. Was it THAT bad? Did they not like the subject matter? Were they Catholic? Presbyterian, perhaps? I didn’t get a chance to ask them so I’ll never know….
This is Candy Simmons 2nd time here with the same show. Seems a lot of folks didn’t make it out last year as she was at an off island venue. Currently residing at the PTC, she’s at the centre of the action and anyone walking by SHOULD pop in and check out this little gem. However, at 70 minutes there’s nothing ‘little’ about this piece considering what the reviewers and audiences have been saying from across the continent.
