Busy weekend at the Shaw Festival

This past weekend was full of Shaw events and interesting theatre, so now the weekend is done, I thought I would gather my thoughts together and offer up some observations on events both onstage and off this weekend.

Last week, I received an invitation from Don Rubin, President of the Canadian Theatre Critics Association, to join a group of critics in town for the Festival for a lunch in the Heaslip Lounge to talk with Michael Billington, theatre critic of The Guardian newspaper in London, England.  Michael was in Niagara-on-the-Lake to take part in a weekend conference, The Speed of Ideas, a theatrical forum, along with award-winning playwrights Tony Kushner and Suzan-Lori Parks.  Mr.  Billington was to lecture at the forum on Sunday, following several days attending plays at both the Stratford and Shaw Festivals.

It was wonderful to hear Mr. Billington's thoughts on the newspaper industry in general, the theatre critic's role today in particular, and what he thought of some of the plays he has seen over the past several days.  An affable and easy-going gentleman, Mr. Billington has been theatre critic for The Guardian for 40 years now, which is rather phenomenal when you stop and think about it.  I have been reviewing live theatre and musical events for over thirty years myself, but not full-time.  I have done it simply as a sideline.  Here is someone who's life begins late morning and ends late in the evening after filing his daily column; truly a marathon man in the world of theatre!

On the Shaw plays he had seen the last few days, it was interesting to note Mr. Billington observed a couple of plays on the bill this season are so rarely staged even he hasn't seen them before, and if he hasn't, likely nobody else living has, either!  It was a nice tip of the hat from someone outside our immediate area who recognized the value of the theatre we sometimes tend to take for granted here in Niagara year in and year out.  His comments were very positive, and that was good to hear.

Theatre critics from the print and electronic media were invited to the luncheon, so I considered myself fortunate indeed to be included in some very accomplished company.  I used to be a member of the Toronto Drama Bench and the Canadian Theatre Critics Association years ago, but gave them up when I started to see less and less live theatre for awhile.  But now that I am doing more than ever, I might have to reconsider that decision from years ago; it was a great feeling sharing time and thoughts with several like-minded individuals in the industry.

On Sunday, I attended one of the more interesting Shaw productions this season, playing at the Courthouse Theatre until October 8th, On The Rocks.  This play, subtitled A Political Comedy, dates from 1933, published the following year.  The play was first produced at London's Winter Garden Theatre in November, 1933, where it ran for 41 performances.  There was a British revival in 1975, and the only major production of the play in the United States was in New York in 1938, where it ran for 66 performances.  Not a long run on either side of the Atlantic, to be sure, and when you consider the first and only Canadian production came at the Shaw Festival, directed by Christopher Newton, in 1986, you can see this play has not had a lot of exposure over the years.

Part of the problem, as is so often the case, is the fact Shaw plays are not the easiest to sit through depending on what the actual production is like.  I remember that 1986 production at the Courthouse Theatre, which provided significant challenges even then for Newton.  This time, the political commentary Shaw provides is suitably updated by Michael Healey and is directed by Joseph Ziegler.  Much of the same challenges remain, but at least the dialogue is not quite as archaic as it once was thanks to Healey.  You know he has tinkered with the script when you hear someone say they "wanted to puke!"  That was not Shaw, you can be sure!  But overall, the adaptation is workable and worthwhile, making On The Rocks a much more enjoyable vehicle for this very strong cast.

The plot involves the British Prime Minister, embroiled in coalition talks at 10 Downing Street to keep his government afloat amid tough economic times during the Great Depression.  As Prime Minister Sir Arthur Chavender, Peter Krantz is quite effective, even though he appears more of a dolt than statesman at times.  His nemesis, Sir Dexter Rightside, played with great pervasiveness by Steven Sutcliffe, almost owns the entire first act as he rails upon the government and their misguided socialist plans born of the prime minister's two-week vacation when he actually had time to 'think.'  The tension reaches its apex when Sutcliffe, in full flight and turning his venom on Dame Adhira Pandranath, who emigrated from India years before, referring to her as a 'bitch' with the dreaded N-word as the adjective.  The audience audibly gasped at the cruelty of the remark.

This is a cast that can make something of this difficult play:  in addition to Krantz and Sutcliffe, strong performances are offered by Thom Marriott as Sir Broadfoot Basham; Mary Haney as Miss Hilda Hanways and Cherissa Richards as Pandranath.

This will not be the most popular play this season, a fact driven home on Sunday by a very small audience in attendance; however those who do venture to enter Shaw's world refocused by Michael Healey will not be disappointed.  On The Rocks is a challenge worth taking this season, and rates a respectable three out of four stars.  It continues at the Court House Theatre until October 8th.

July 25th, 2011.