NEWS & REVIEWS

Portraying raw emotion on stage is difficult. But it’s even tougher to watch, writes Liz Dadson, in her review of In the Wake of Wettlaufer, posted on the Kincardine Record‘s website. However, the Blyth Festival has not only produced a brilliant and timely play, it has done so with finesse and incredible sensitivity, she wrote. Such is the world premiere …

In the Wake of Wettlaufer, written by Kelly McIntosh and Gil Garratt, who also directed, is a powerful artistic achievement but, more importantly, it puts a human face and sharp focus on a horrific tragedy that has exposed the weaknesses in a long-term care system in desperate need of repair, writes London Free Press reviewer Joe Belanger. That this play …

The Blyth Festival has a history of creating dramatic works that address headline grabbing events in the province. The Pigeon King (2017), for example, was based on a $70 million ponzi scheme involving breeding phony “racing” pigeons. In the Wake of Wettlaufer continues the tradition. But whereas The Pigeon King told the story of how Arlan Galbraith bilked hundreds of farmers, Wettlaufer takes a different tack, one that …

“In Austin, the family patriarch, [playwright Dan] Needles has created the kind of rich comic character who, like Falstaff in the Elizabethan era, leaves audiences wanting more of his company. He is the heart and soul of the play and Layne Coleman gives him the kind of bravura performance that for once makes the standing ovation at the curtain call …

“To pull off a farce, you need relentless pacing and committed performances. Farce only works if the actors play their roles as if their characters are facing life and death situations. The tension must be palpable, and kudos to director Kelli Fox for ensuring that it is,” writes theatre critic Paula Citron in her review of Cakewalk on her blog.  …