HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-08-25, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 2005. PAGE 23
Entertainment fa Leisure
Theatre review
‘’Midnight’ makes spine-tingling return
locked door
Confronting the mysteries ol the
farmhouse arc voting mameds Ian
and Greg, who arrive from the utv
in search of country calm What thev
find, however, is anything hut as
shocking secrets arc revealed
Adding to the mystery arc GrcgjS
sister Laura and George, the larmci
who rented them the house.
The cast is superb bringing to life
multi-faceted characters flic
bookish Greg, as played by Festival
associate artistic director Gil Garratt.
is the kind of guy you just find
yourself rooting tor. There is a lot to
Greg and Garratt conveys it all.
Sarah Allen may be all sweet
innocence as Jan. but she also taps in
to the character's underlying
strength.
Joanna Schellenberg oozes
mystery and sensuality as Laura, the
kind of girl you don't take home to
mother But one senses a
vulnerability driving the steely
determination.
John Dolan's George puts the fun
in horror. With wonderf ul liming and
talent he plays his part to perfection
Designer Charlotte Dean's set
makes you think 1950s movie and
I cslev Wilkinson’s lighting casts in
mvsiciv They help Coates attain his
Hitchcock style. It almost feels al
times like you're watcMng in black
and vv lute.
The combination is perfect It
makes |<n a wonderfully
entertaining production lull ol
laughs and Irights.
I ll Be Bai k Before Midnight plays
until Sept at the Festival You
really should see it
The Brubachers of Ethel
Restaurant & Bakery
Real Home Cooking
our Cinnamon Buns
Mon. - Fri. 7-6:30;
Sat. 8-6:30, Sunday Closed
A man divided
Joanna Schellenberg as Laura, Gil Garratt as Greg and Sarah Allen as Jan share a moment
of tension in this scene from Blyth Festival’s production of I’ll Be Back Before Midnight which
Opened Aug. 25. (Photo submitted)
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
I've seen it before and it still
scared the bejeepers out of me.
Thursday night, Peter Colley’s
mystery thriller, I'll Be Back Before
Midnight made a spine-tingling
return to the Blyth Festival stage, the
same place it premiered in 1979.
Given a 1955-film noir twist by
director Eric Coates, this Midnight
manages a fine balance between the
darkly sinister and the amusing.
It was a secluded Huron County
farmhouse that inspired the
imagination of the cosmopolitan
playwright on a wintry night about
three decades ago. Coliey says,
“there was something about, that old
house that I found both sinister and
mysterious — the malignant
presence of some long-forgotton
horror that lingered like dust on the
decaying walls and weathered
planking.”
Putting his fears to paper, Colley
penned Midnight, which after its
triumphant premiere in Blyth. went
on to great success. The play has
been produced in over 24 countries
(most recently Kenya), every state in
the U.S. and every province in
Canada.
This true Canadian classic had its
most recent showing in Blyth in
1992. By then, however, the script
had been revamped and the ending
changed.. In bringing it back for the
2005 season. Coates, who is the
Festival's artistic director, decided to
revive the original. With its
Hitchcockian treatment, terror lurks
in every shadowed corner, surprise
behind every draped window and
Award-winning Dini Petty
u
Happy 1st
Birthday
Becca
August 25
Love Mommy, Daddy,
Kayla and
Machan/McClure
families
887-8659
appears at Blyth Festival
Celebrity, mother, entrepreneur,
daredevil and free spirit, Dini Petty
will appear at the Blyth Festival,
performing in her one-woman show
The Moth, the Flame and the
Lemming, on Sept. 16 at 8 p.m.
“This personal odyssey is a look
back into a journey of self
discovery,” says Petty. “There are so
many stories from the ridiculous to
the life threatening. The biggest
challenge was which ones to tell. In
the end it’s a coming to terms with
my life-long attraction to the stage.
Like a moth or a lemming, I have
always known where 1 was supposed
to be. I’ve just never known what it
is I’m supposed to do when 1 get
there. Well I do now.”
For more information or for tickets
($22.50) call 523-9300 (local) or 1-
877-862-5984 (toll free) or visit the
website at www.blythfestival.com
BUY? SELL?
TRY CLASSIFIED
WEDDINGS
Performed - your location or our indoor
or outdoor chapel (non-denominational)
All Christenings & Memorials
For brochure call
Rev. CHRIS MORGAN
ALL FAITHS PASTORAL CENTRE
BENMILLER. ...524-5724
WEDDINGS
| Buck 'n Doe
§ Justin Howatt & Liz Seip
$ August 27th at 9:00 pm
O Brussels Community Centre
Age of Majority
( Lunch provided.
Music by DJ Balaklava.
| Tickets $6 in advance, $7 at door
FOR TICKETS: Contact Gavin
I VanCamp at 519-442-2090 or
Chucky at 519-364-2730
J or 519-523-4500