As I entered the Metro Theatre this past Saturday it was like being welcomed home by a long lost lover. You see, I’d been away from Vancouver, making it nearly a year since my shadow had darkened the doors of the Metro Theatre. I missed other Vancouver theatres in my absence, but none more than this one, as the Metro Theatre reminds me of my grandfather and thus carries the comfort of home, an especially comforting thing for a gal that’s feeling a little bit lost, not at all sure where she belongs.
Now I am embarrassed to say, I didn’t actually know what I was going to see, just being excited to return to the warm embrace and comforts that is the Metro Theatre and admittedly I’ve enjoy everything I’ve seen in the past at the Metro. Being there with a friend that I was just getting to know, I was rewarded with a light comedy, which is generally always a safe bet when one is not yet sure of another’s tastes, values and political views. Although I do caution you, this might not be the best date night if you are not in a trusting relationship, as it might open old wounds or a renewed sense of distrust. Mind you, if that’s the case, then you might have bigger problems than having to be careful over which piece of theatre you attend together.
So what was this comedy that I speak of? Relatively Speaking, a British Comedy of Errors by Playwright Alan Ayckbourn. Now I am not going to give away the whole plot, just sufficed to say it is the tale of 2 lover’s triangle confused by a cross-generation gap. Somewhat cryptic, I know, but I do hate when people give away the plot to a story. I can tell you this though, you will enjoy plenty of chuckles over the course of the evening.
My compliments to the cast, who carried an entertaining performance ~ Paul Fisher as Philip, Alison Schamberger as Sheila, Anita Reimer as Ginny, and James Challis as Greg. I especially got a kick out of Paul and Alison, who had a certain wit to their humour that comes in some with the quirky confidence of maturing gracefully, like a fine cider. Now with any enjoyable performance on stage, that means there has been a lot of work that has taken place behind the scenes, in this case by John Crittenden (the director), Val Bingley (C0-Production Manager), Joshua Webster (Stage Manager), Colleen Shook (Assistant Stage Manager), Les Erskine (Lighting and Sound Designer ~ loved the music), and Val Palosaari (Costumes). Well done everybody!
If you are up for a light-hearted night at the theatre, you can still catch Relatively Speaking at the Metro Theatre this Thursday (September 20th, 2012), Friday (September 21st, 2012) and Saturday (September 22nd, 2012) night at 8 pm. You’ll find details on the tickets here.
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