NEWS & REVIEWS

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 …

BLYTH – Writers Kelly McIntosh and Gil Garratt tell a poignant story of four siblings’ decision to place their aging father in long-term care only to find it is the same home where serial killer nurse Elizabeth Wettlaufer has been killing residents, in the world premiere In the Wake of Wettlaufer, running Aug. 7 to Sept. 6 at Blyth Festival. …

“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 …

BLYTH – Canadian writer Dan Needles trademark wit and unparalleled observations of farm life come to the Blyth Festival stage with The Team on the Hill, running July 31 to Sept. 5. Needles, winner of the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, created the Wingfield Series and brought us True Confessions from the Ninth Concession earlier this year. The Team …

“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.  …