It’s there…

“I like the ephemeral thing about theatre, every performance is like a ghost – it’s there and then it’s gone”.

Maggie Smith

As promised but a few posts back – herewith a brief disquisition (please forgive the contradiction in terms – it feels longer than it is!) on our theatrical experiences thus far this year.

Regular attendees to this forum will be well aware that The Girl and I have always been avid theatre goers. Indeed, one of the things that we really do miss from the Old Country is the sheer extent, variety and boldness of the theatrical fare on offer in London and elsewhere in the UK.

With a considerably smaller oeuvre upon which to call it is perhaps inevitable that, on occasion, we find ourselves a little disappointed by the quality and vision of the offerings here in Victoria. We are enthusiasts for The Belfry Theatre and continue to hold season tickets there, but we find the programming to be, on occasion, uneven and the theatre’s perhaps understandable emphasis on contemporary Canadian writing to feel somewhat parochial.

We did, however, enjoy Anosh Irani’s “Behind the Moon” back at the start of the year and, even more so, the most recent production; Michael Healey’s clever political comedy, “1979“. This brilliantly written and acted piece would have been entertaining regardless, but to one such as I – a neophyte when it comes to Canadian political history – this examination of the political career of Canada’s youngest prime minister, Joe Clark, was fascinating and inevitably prescient. As a theatrical device I particularly enjoyed the manner in which the projected captions had a voice all of their own.

Arguably, the best production that we have seen at the Belfry thus far this year was not one of their own at all. Two Victoria companies – Puente Theatre and Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre – joined forces to launch the ‘Great Works Theatre Festival‘. Of this venture they say:

“The Great Works Theatre Festival is a ground-breaking new initiative dedicated to bold interpretations and adaptations of the world’s great theatrical works. By joining forces, both companies aim to enrich Victoria’s cultural landscape and foster artistic collaboration through fresh takes on timeless classics“.

The festival’s inaugural season featured two works, staged at The Belfry; Federico García Lorca’s ‘Blood Wedding‘ (in a new version by Mercedes Bátiz-Benét) and David Hirson’s 1991 comedy, ‘La Bête‘ (‘The Beast‘). We saw the latter back in August and were mightily impressed. Of the production Christine van Reeuwyk wrote in the Peninsula News Review:

“David Hirson’s 1992 Olivier Award-winning comedy is set on the estate of Princess Conti in 1654 Languedoc, France. The play is an homage to the man who is considered France’s greatest playwright and satirist Jean-Baptiste Poquelin – better known by his stage name, Moliere. Revolving around the attempt by a royal patron to introduce a megalomaniac street performer and playwright into one of France’s most respected theatre ensembles, La Bete is a contemporary comic masterpiece that skewers a world that has gone mad with the thrall of ego“.

“Audiences attending La Bête will experience a virtual hurricane of words,” director Brian Richmond said in a news release. “Thoughtful words, complex words but, mostly, hysterically funny words placed in a structure of perfectly rhymed couplets that mirror the form and practice of the French theatre of the 17th century. Although utilizing the lush scenery and costumes present in France at the height of its power, we could have just as easily set the production in the City of Babel or modern day Washington, DC, so timeless is its satirical focus.”

The street performer – Valere – was played in this production by the extraordinary Britt Candide Small, who won a well deserved ovation for her delivery of the stunning 30 minute monologue in iambic pentameter which is the centrepiece of the first part of the show.

The blog – ‘Haska’s Haunt‘ – says of the production:

“Where audiences have so often seen pared down, two-hander, black box shows, the richness of this production feels almost surprising, but every detail included was utilized. Every bit of stage magic, every piece of costuming, every character was there with purpose, and it all contributed to a work that can easily be revisited and has so much to enjoy”.

“Hear, hear” – say I!