HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-04-21, Page 23ntertainment
Theatre review
‘Billy Bishop’ a must-see
By Keith Roulston
Citizen publisher
The actors are 20 years older.
The staging is more elaborate. The
audience has paid several limes as
much for a ticket.
And yet Billy Bishop Goes to
War is still as magical and enjoy
able in 1999 at London's Grand
Theatre as it was in 1979 at Blyth
Memorial Hall.
The world of Canadian theatre
has changed since John Gray and
Eric Peterson brought their little
musical out of a warehouse theatre
in Vancouver in 1978 and took the
country by storm. But the 20th
anniversary production of Billy
Bishop proves a strong script and a
great actor can still make the magic
work.
It’s a challenge though. At first at
Friday night’s opening when Peter -
'son walked out on the huge Grand
stage it, and the 800-seat auditori
um, seemed like they might swal
low him. It took a while to get the
audience involved. By the end
though, the power of his perfor
mance, the wit, humour and pathos
of Gray’s script, had the audience
leaping to its feet in an instanta
neous standing ovation.
Peterson and Gray have made
one subtle change in the script to
adapt it to their age. The play now
begins with a World War II vintage
Bishop preparing to address new
recruits preparing to go off and
fight. He then goes backward to tell
his own story from World War I.
In many ways the changes make
the story work even better by
adding more layers of irony to the
show. When, near the end, Bishop
talks about the feelings of guilt
about being a survivor when so
many others died, it takes on more
poignance because of the charac
ter's age.
It’s good to see Peterson back on
stage again after years of doing
television work. He is one of the
treasures of Canadian theatre and
now local audiences have a chance
to sec him in a tour de force perfor
mance. He plays not only Bishop as
a middle-aged man and a brash
young pilot, but a host of characters
from a Cockney officer to the
imperious Lady St. Holier with
nothing more than a change of
voice and a shift of his body.
He takes the audience aloft to
participate in dog fights over
France, with just the power of his
storytelling. He somehow fills the
Grand’s stage, all by himself.
It’s ironic that this 20lh anniver
sary tour hits the major regional
theatres like the Grand, Manitoba
Atwood Lions
every Thursday
Doors open 6:30 p.m.
Starts at 7:00 p.m.
Jackpot $500.
on 54 calls
Pot of Gold $500.
on 58 calls
Loonie Bin
To war
The Grand Theatre presents John Gray’s Billy Bishop
Goes to War, starring Eric Peterson. Gray is the piano
player. The show runs through to May 1. (David cooper photo)
HAPPY 40th
Becky
Guess Who!
Theatre Centre and the National
Arts Centre. In his introduction to
the published version of the script,
back in 1981, Gray tells how he
and Peterson created the play
because they couldn’t get work in
the regional theatres. Confined to
smaller theatres like Theatre Passe
Muraille, they were always scrap
ing for a living, until Billy Bishop
Goes to War changed their lives
forever.
They became household names
for those with any interest at all in.
Canadian theatre. They tasted the
champagne of Broadway in a not-
altogether successful foray to
American theatre’s big-time
(Americans just didn’t understand
the ironies of the play or care about
a Canadian war hero) and they
were the toast of the Edinburgh
Festival in Scotland.
Gray went on to write other hit
musicals like Rock and Roll and
Don Messer's Jubilee while Peter
son spent a comfortable eight sea
sons on Street Legal, a hit CBC
television show.
The current production proves
neither has lost his edge. Gray’s
at A A .a. fcAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
i Buck <& Doe
• for
i Eric Weston &
i Cherie Smith
' Friday, April 30,1999
Monkton Arena
! Music by DJ
J Lunch provided
< Tickets: $6.00 per person
! Age of Majority Required
singing and accompaniment on
piano are an acting performance of
their own while Peterson is magnif
icent. If you have any interest in
theatre or any interest in Canadian
history it’s a show not to miss.
Play opens
Sept. 2
Continued from page 3
generously loaded into the back of
his pickup will undoubtedly find a
place in the show too.
Thompson is planning to use the
whole Blyth theatre, not just the
stage,-to create a truly spectacular
event. Death of a Hired Man,
sponsored by Ideal Supply and
CKNX Radio, will open at the
Blyth Festival Sept. 2 and run until
Sept. 12. For money saving
vouchers, tickets and information
call the Box Office 523-9300 or toll
free 1-877 TO BLYTH.
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EXETER
www.ettravel.com
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1999. PAGE 23.
Etienne comes to Blyth
Canadian Parents for French,
Huron-Perth, Goderich section, is
bringing "Etienne" to Blyth and
Goderich!
"Etienne” is Steven Langlois, a
full-time core French teacher from
Stratford who has released 3 CDs
of educational French songs. He is
now on tour and will perform his
motivational rockin', hip-hoppin'
music across Canada. Each song
teaches verbs, adjectives and other
grammatical and thematical
structures.
His concerts are interactive and
facilitate the learning of French.
Students from schools in the area
will be attending Etienne's concerts
on April 27.
Suck <£ Stae
for
John Brak &
Heidi Dale
Saturday, May 1
Blyth Community Centre
Music by the Neat Guys
For more informatiori call
Brad 523-9622