Review: 10 Things... - Noam Gagnon bares his soul

There was something quite beautiful and personal that happened on the stage of The Cultch last night as Noam Gagnon bared his soul and gave each of us a small piece of himself in the premiere of 10 THINGS you’ll HATE about ME.

Gagnon and playwright James Fagan Tait have created a series of ten dance vignettes, accompanied by music and spoken word, telling Gagnon’s life story with the Oscar Wilde’s children story The Happy Prince as backdrop.

Noam Gagnon as the "Drama Queen" in 10 THINGS you’ll HATE about ME

At the outset we are told that some of what we are about to witness is true.  I found this blurring of fantasy and reality the most powerful part of the piece: memories are faulty; bad memories are buried deep; we create joyful memories from painful ones.

The use of Wilde’s The Happy Prince was the perfect choice as the backdrop for Gagnon’s story.  As in Wilde’s short story, Gagnon slowly removes layers of himself, offering them up as a gift to the audience.  This is at times both raw and visceral but always under control.

Go, see this show – it is beautiful, funny, and always heartfelt.  You’ll walk away with a piece of Noam Gagnon … I just hope he has enough in him to satisfy everyone.

(On a final note, while not necessary, I would recommend reading The Happy Prince before seeing the show as it may, like it did for me, provide some deeper understanding.)

10 THINGS you’ll HATE about ME
The Cultch
3 - 8 May 2010

Inspired by Oscar Wilde's famous children's story The Happy Prince, 10 THINGS you'll HATE about ME presents a series of ten deeply personal solo vignettes choreographed by Gagnon. This brave new work tramples the borders between art and life, obliterating the lines between lived experience and theatrical extrapolation.  Tickets are available by calling The Cultch box office at 604-251-1363 or online at https://tickets.thecultch.com.