The
Blonde, The Brunette...
The Blonde, The Brunette and
The Vengeful Redhead
On Stage at the Vancouver Playhouse through February 2nd
Tickets & Information at
http://www.vancouverplayhouse.com
It seems that the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company has found a very
successful franchise - one-woman shows. Last season they gave us The Syringa
Tree and in the year before we were not only treated to the first
performances of The Syringa Tree but also, I Am My Own Wife.
This season, the Playhouse serves up another multi-character, one-woman show -
The Blonde, The Brunette and The Vengeful Redhead. A dreadful
title for a play to be sure but fortunately for the audience, the dreadful title
does not translate into a dreadful play.
Starring Stratford maven, Lucy Peacock, The Blonde…, by Australian
playwright Robert Hewett, examines the fateful events of a single day from seven
different perspectives. And just in case I haven't stated it well enough, let
me repeat, all the characters (seven here) are played by Peacock.
Surprised by her husband Graham’s departure after 17+ years (by phone, no less),
suburban housewife Rhonda Russell confronts who she thinks is the woman who
precipitated his departure and a physical altercation escalates with fatal
results. Through the rest of the show we see how the various characters connect
to each other and are offered their own versions of the truth about what
happened.
Peacock has performed this role now for a couple of years at the Stratford
Festival (to wide acclaim and sold-out houses) so it is not surprising that she
handles the various characters’ monologues with such aplomb. Even in some of
the weaker moments of the play, such as the mercifully short appearance of
four-and-a-half year old Matthew, Peacock still manages to imbibe a unique
character into each of the seven people she portrays. Ms Peacock really shines
in her portrayals of Lynette, the brunette next door and as Rhonda’s husband,
Graham.
Lucy Peacock as the
Blonde, the Brunette and the Redhead.
Photo: David Cooper
My initial reaction to Peacock changing into her next character behind a lighted
screen was that it was a bit contrived, but as she transformed from one
character to another it was actually fun to guess which character would appear
next. The use of slide projections to show location and transition, however,
was distracting and unnecessary.
The Blonde… continues what is quickly becoming a grand tradition
for the Playhouse: showcasing some of Canada’s great female stage actors. The
standing ovation for Ms Peacock on opening night was definitely deserved, even
from Vancouver’s ovation-happy theatre-goers, but more for her skill as an actor
than for the play itself.
The Blonde… continues at the Vancouver Playhouse through to
February 2nd. Visit
http://www.vancouverplayhouse.com/ for information and tickets.
