Theatre Review by Christina Manolescu</MARQUEE>
And, for all its enchantment, there is great simplicity, clarity, discipline and focus on the part of Director, Alain Goulem. It’s quite a feat to be able to keep a juvenile audience entertained and spellbound in their seats, while making the ‘grownups’ giggle as well.
Some of the strongest talents have been summoned into service for this production: among others, Sarah Yaffe as lighting designer, Ana Cappelluto for stage design, Troy Slocum for sound production and Nelly Savova for costume design and puppetry.
Audrey Finkelstein (Franny) and Gemma James-Smith (Simp) are a brilliant singing-dancing-capering twosome. Michel Perron, as Mr. Man, is all blustering pomp and circumstance and comic paranoia. The ‘odd man out’, versatile Mike Hughes, plays good-natured Bluey (from the dangerously suspect Land of Blues).
The point is, apart from watching these truly gifted performers, performing their hearts out, you never know what’s going to pop ‘out of the mouth of babes’ in response. In this family-friendly interactive show, you get to hear what the children, at least, are thinking.
A randomly chosen member of the audience gets to determine the theatrical finale. And, since this changes with each fresh audience, gauging the ‘barometer’ of responses can be quite enlightening. How do young people, in particular, react to the bedrock theme of peace-making and its ‘moral’ lessons, imparted with fun and flair? The observation is sobering and thought-provoking.
‘Peacemaker’ pokes gentle fun at our natural and ingrained prejudices. At the same time, it does succeed in shifting the universal mind-set a few degrees in the alternate direction, at least.
Interactive and visually-striking, Peacemaker will draw you into a fantastical world of circus fun, complete with puppetry, juggling and dance, while exploring such themes as community, friendship, prejudice and peace. Peacemaker takes theatre out of the box with an ending determined by audience participation, encouraging children and adults alike to put their peace-making skills to the test and watch their ideas come to life on the stage.
Simp and Franny are two young clowns from the Land of Red, and Bluey is a champion juggler from the Land of Blue. For years their two communities have been separated by a closely-guarded wall. But when a red juggling ball is tossed over the wall into the Land of Blue, Simp, Franny and Bluey must face their fears and begin breaking down the barriers keeping them apart. Dodging the vigilant gaze of Mr. Man, the watch-keeper of the wall, the three new friends set about undoing the years of prejudice and fear that have divided the Reds and the Blues and start taking steps towards making peace.
The Peacemaker cast and crew includes some of the hottest names on the Montreal theatre scene: Director Alain Goulem, a popular face on TV and stage, and director of last year’s acclaimed Housekeeping and Homewrecking; Designer Ana Cappelluto, record-holder for the most MECCA awards; and Michel Perron, a perennial on the Montreal stage and winner of last year’s Les Masques award for Best Supporting Actor, playing Peacemaker’s Mr. Man.
Rounding out the cast of clowns are Audrey Finkelstein, a veteran of the Dell’arte Company; Mike Hughes, Founding Member of the Uncalled For Improv Troupe and a Geordie favourite (A Giraffe in Paris, Charlotte’s Web); and Gemma James-Smith, recently nominated for a Betty Mitchell Award for Vincent in Brixton (Alberta Theatre Projects). The creative team includes: Nelly Savova, Costume Design; Troy Slocum, Sound Design; Sarah Yaffe, Lighting Design; and Luciana Burcheri, Stage Manager.
David Holman is an internationally renowned children’s playwright who has written more than seventy works for stage, radio, film and opera. First performed in 1996, Peacemaker has been staged in over 13 countries. Geordie’s own production gives the A-list design team full reign with their creativity to build the imaginary worlds of Reds and Blues on Geordie’s Mainstage in an elaborate and unique presentation to delight audiences of all ages.
Geordie is a professional theatre company that has presented live English-language theatre for young audiences for over twenty-five years. Based in Montreal, Geordie’s School Tour travels extensively from the Far North to all across Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes, bringing many communities their only opportunity to see live theatre. Geordie's Montreal Mainstage Series presents both well-loved classics and exciting new work by contemporary Canadian playwrights to families and school groups at the D.B. Clarke Theatre in downtown Montreal.
Peacemaker | By David Holman | Directed by Alain Goulem
PERFORMANCES: February 15 – 24, 2008 | Opening night: Feb. 15 at 7:00pm | Weekend Family Performances: Feb. 16 at 3:00pm; Feb. 17, 23, 24 at 1:00pm & 3:00pm
VENUE: D.B. Clarke Theatre, Concordia University Hall Building | 1455 de Maisonneuve W, Montreal. Metro Guy Concordia
TICKETS: $13.50 children, $16 adults; $15 seniors; all prices include tax | Group rates available
AGE RECOMMENDATION: Children ages 4+ and adults of all ages | 60 minutes
BOX OFFICE and INFORMATION: (514) 845-9810 or www.geordie.ca