Tag: Shakespeare

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Get your ‘Speare on with a side of Pulp

Bard Fiction at Mainline Theatre blends Shakespeare and Pulp Fiction in five star production

The only thing better than Pulp Fiction is Pulp Fiction in iambic pentameter.

Bard Fiction is a must-see theatrical version of Quentin Tarantino’s cult classic in Shakespearean English, which ran its Quebec premiere Thursday, Sept. 18, at Mainline Theatre to thunderous applause.

Set in the 17th century where cottage pies replace Big Macs and a stallion replaces Zed’s motorcycle, this hour-long production had the audience whooping, laughing, and breaking out in applause when they heard their favourite lines directly translated into Shakespearean English.

Butch, played by Lucas Chartier, escapes from the would-be rape dungeon and, while trying to decide to save Marsellus or leave him behind, tears at his hair and cries, “TO FLEE, OR NOT TO FLEE.”

Produced by Beyond the Mountain Productions and running at MainLine Theatre from now until Sunday, Sept. 28, this is a production that all Tarantin-attics must see.

Guns are replaced by daggers and sabers, suits boast ruffles and tights, cars become carriages, and the classic Vincent and Mia dance scene begins with a bow and a curtsey.

“I’m relieved. I knew it would do well, but it’s always a pleasure to hear people laugh when they’re supposed to laugh … and this is one of those few venues where you can see the smiles on people’s faces,” said Artistic Director and Production Manager Danielle Caddell.

Caddell is the driving-force behind bringing Bard Fiction to Canada, using her theatre contacts to bring the play first to the Toronto Fringe festival, and now to Montreal.

Mainline Theatre is an intimate venue, with the audience wrapped close around the stage. A flutist in the audience plays most of the music for the production, and Marsellus is often illuminated while sitting in an audience chair to deliver a line, to the delight of audience-members sitting next to him.

Lancelot and three other minor characters are played by Concordia playwright student Laurent McCuaig Pitre.

The cast of nine only had two to three weeks to rehearse said McCuaig, but all actors have previous experience working with Shakespeare.

Still, being such Pulp Fiction fans, the actors didn’t have to work hard to muddle through the meaning of their Shakespearean lines because they knew what the meaning was from the original movie added Chartier, or Butch, the latter having performed in Hamlet and Love Labour’s Lost before.

Non-Shakespearean buffs shouldn’t fret if they didn’t excel in high school English classes though. An argument between Vincent and Jules about the varying intimacies of foot rubs and culingus is still just that, and what words are lost in meaning are made up for in gestures, facial expressions and attitude.

That, and the phrase, “lower lip” isn’t entirely difficult to decipher.

The only recommendation to give is to watch Pulp Fiction before the show so you can cheer loudly when you hear your favourite quotes and insults delivered in beautiful Shakespearean prose, thy poxed whoreson.

Bard Fiction runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with varying showtimes till the end of the month. Tickets sell for $12 a pop for students and are available at beyondthemountain.ca

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Arts

“All the world is folly” once more

For only four days this month, Falstaff’s foolhardy hero will bring comedy and song to Montreal’s operatic stage. Press photo

Ah, Falstaff. Verdi’s timeless operatic classic takes centre stage at the Opera de Montreal this month, guaranteed to issue a few laughs and approval from the audience. In many respects, Falstaff is comedic and light-hearted while remaining thought-provoking. Based partly on Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor, this three-act commedia lirica takes on dark themes of revenge and retaliation in a subtle fashion.

For only four days this month, Falstaff’s foolhardy hero will bring comedy and song to Montreal’s operatic stage. Press photo

John Falstaff, a pot-bellied drinker bogged down with financial troubles, realizes he needs to fix up his bank account. Also, Falstaff obviously has not checked himself out in the mirror lately, since he still believes he can woo wealthy ladies.

Mistake number one: Falstaff sends out two love letters to Alice Ford and Meg Page, both wives of affluent Windsor citizens. Mistake number two: the letters are identical.

At first amused, the wives become angry and decide that Falstaff needs to learn a lesson. Page and Ford, along with Mistress Quickly, scheme to pretend they are interested in Falstaff. The jovial Mistress Quickly steals away to Falstaff’s residence, claiming that both women are enthralled with Falstaff. Overjoyed, Falstaff delivers a mighty aria (“Va, vecchio John/Go, old Jack, go on your way”).

Meanwhile, Mr. Ford (husband of Alice) learns of Falstaff’s ruse and interrupts his attempts, ready to lynch Falstaff. Hiding behind a hamper, Falstaff is shortly thrown out in the ditch through the window. Things are not looking good for Falstaff.

By Act III, Falstaff is grumpy. Licking his wounds, he resolves to dowse his sorrows, so out comes the mulled wine. Encouraged to seduce Alice once again, Falstaff hits another brick wall when a horde of “elves” and “fairies” (who are actually his disguised servants) thrash at him violently.

Marie-Nicole Lemieux shines in her role as Mistress Quickly, whom she has played no less than 52 times.

“I love being back home in Quebec, but I won’t say that I am not stressed,” she said. “I am as nervous about the role as [I was] in Milan, Paris or London.”

Lemieux finds Verdi enthralling because of the opera’s freshness and youthfulness.

“This was a man nearing the end of his life, and he managed to make this opera sound both joyful and young. He was 76 years old! I also love to sing Verdi because it is very dramatic. It is like champagne,” said the contralto.

Lemieux credits the good team she has been working with for her success so far.

“The orchestral conductor is magnificent. When we perform together, I sometimes get emotional. [Once], my make-up was running all over the place by the end of one performance,” Lemieux recalled.

Speaking of her role, Lemieux feels it is an important one, vital to the storyline, adding that she loves playing the mistress.

“Mistress Quickly is the link that holds people together. She is a very developed character, she is always intervening in situations,” she explained

In the title role is Oleg Bryjak; Gianna Corbisiero plays Alice Ford and Lauren Segal takes on Meg Page. Internationally renowned Italian conductor Daniele Callegari takes the baton, leading the Orchestre Métropolitain.

David Gately, stage director for Falstaff, also nurtures fond emotions for the opera.

“I have directed this opera a total of eight times, and to this day it remains one of my favourites,” he said. “The piece is full of life, full of good spirits. The more I direct Falstaff, the more I am amazed,” says the Seattle-based director, adding “I love directing in Montreal too. This will be my fifth time directing in this city.”

Before each performance, a pre-Opera talk with musicologist Pierre Vachon will shed light on the opera in the Piano Nobile room at 6:30 p.m.

Verdi’s Falstaff will run for four days only on Nov. 9, 12, 14 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.            

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“A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!”

William Shakespeare’s historical dramas aren’t known for their humour, but perhaps they should be. What’s funny about a man so evil he kills half his extended family to gain power? Nothing. But nonetheless it’s a bloody barrel of laughs.

Metachroma is a new theatre company in Montreal which seeks to transcend issues of race within the theatre. Mike Payette, a graduate of Concordia and one of Metachroma’s founders said that the company would provide “an opportunity for actors of colour to come together on the same stage, without needing a reason.”

For their debut, Metachroma put on a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III, directed by Concordia theatre professor Joel Miller, which runs until Sept. 30.

Historical dramas are not for everyone because they can be dense and hard to swallow even when performed by such a lively and engaging cast of actors. In this case, the team at Metachroma did admirably, tackling a challenging show, keeping it light-hearted, and managing to hold the audience’s attention for the majority of the two and a half hour production.

Richard III tells the story of a man, deformed at birth and in line for the throne of England, who uses devious means and unsavory underlings to eliminate those who stand between himself and the crown. Richard, it seems, is bad to the core and has zero problems ordering the violent murders of his brothers, his wife, his nephews and pretty much anyone else who challenges him.

Jamie Robinson, another Concordia graduate, was an absolute highlight as King Richard. He managed to be extremely likable even while scheming, plotting and murdering. His delivery was very funny and fast-paced, giving a refreshing twist to the complex language. He had an incredible energy about him which really helped the audience connect with him during his performance.

Lucinda Davis, who played – among other things – Lady Anne, was also a hit. She displayed a level of conviction which can be difficult to achieve with Shakespeare and displayed a remarkable range of emotions and characters from start to finish.

The overall feel of the play was positive though some of the design aspects could have used more attention to detail. The plain yellow-washed backdrop was at once conveniently neutral and overly plain. There was a beautiful golden wire sculpture of a castle suspended from the ceiling of the theatre, which I appreciated very much, but it would have been nice to see that level of creativity throughout the set.

The same applies to the costumes. King Richard’s multiple costumes, and the Duke of Buckingham’s clothing, were well-chosen and fitting for the part. Other costumes, however, such as those which appeared on more minor characters were ill-fitting. It felt like a hodge podge which lacked adequate funding and esthetic design overall.

In the end, Metachroma’s mission was to create a piece of theatre that would make the audience forget about issues of race and just take in the performance as it is. Payette said they wanted to put forward a “very honest portrayal of the play,” that would “challenge the perception of race onstage,” and that they did. The diversity of the cast proved only a strength in assembling such a talented group, and though the visuals may have been bare-bones, the quality of performance exceeded my expectations.

Richard III runs Sept. 19-30 at the Segal Centre with tickets starting at $18.

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