By George Perry
Does this train go to Afghanistan and Bathurst?
Wet, playing at Theatre Passe Muraille is a nasty play. It is also a brilliant play.
It’s not easy to watch our good people go away to weird countries. It is even harder to watch them come back home more screwed up than Charles Manson.
We begin our voyage by sitting in on a video linkup between a woman serving overseas and her husband back home. Technology bringing people together while good old fashioned tactics kill people.
She comes back home, a mannequin more than a person. She is incapable of talking, unable to touch. Really, a large part of this play borrows from Pete Townshend’s Tommy. Call it Tammy.
No money, no hope, suffering from battle fatigue, Walker, or Burns in this case, becomes deaf dumb and blind.
It must a pretty easy part to play for Jillian Pearson, and yet infuriating. Say nothing, do nothing, be a corpse.
As is the case in most Fringe plays, the stage is secondary to the acting. Craig Henderson and Marek Paci really shine. Their interactions are exquisite.
The use of more theatre than just the main stage is a treat as well.
It’s basically a two man play, at times incredibly engaging. At other times, during monologues, it is incredibly predictable and boring.
This is a play about suicide and killing. The actors make it clear that anyone who volunteers to serve overseas is committing suicide. One will come back home mentally deranged or in a body bag. Cats are drowned for their own good. Meow.
This is a heavy play that will leave you thinking. Is it worth it?
Venue 10 Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace
75 min.
Thu, July 1 10:30 PM – 1006
Sat, July 3 3:30 PM – 1015
Mon, July 5 10:45 PM – 1032
Tue, July 6 5:00 PM – 1035
Wed, July 7 2:00 PM – 1040
Thu, July 8 5:15 PM – 1049
Sat, July 10 7:00 PM – 1064
– All individual Fringe tickets are $10 ($5 for FringeKids) at the door (cash only). Tickets are available online at www.fringetoronto.com, by Phone at 416-966-1062, in person at The Randolph Centre for the Arts, 736 Bathurst Street (Advance tickets are $11 ($10+$1 convenience fee)
– Several money-saving passes are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows