By Sheila Martindale
Monday Magazine theatre reviewer
Sometimes in the summer we just need something light and fluffy, with no deep concentration involved. Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre’s Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon fills the bill admirably.
This show, pretty much like all the productions done by Blue Bridge, is extremely well done by a group of marvellously talented actors.
Laura-Jane Tresidder plays Corie, the newly married, high spirited young woman who sometimes does not think things through before plunging in. Her more sober lawyer husband, Paul, is portrayed by Jonathan Mason. So when they disagree, the sparks fly!
Gwynyth Walsh and Chris Britton portray Corie’s mother and the eccentric, charming and penniless neighbour, while Jacob Richmond and Malcolm Harvey are cast as the telephone repair man and delivery man, respectively.
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One of the main points of humour here is the fact that the young couple have just moved into their fifth-floor New York apartment, which has no elevator. Anyone coming in arrives in a breathless state of one sort or another. It is also winter, and not only does the heating system not work, there is a hole in the apartment’s skylight, providing many more laughs.
The fact the show is light does not mean there is nothing at all of any depth, and the older character actors do provide some food for thought. The situations may be hilarious, but they make you think. Fran Gebhard directs this play, with a deft touch. A nod to the set designer, Hans Saefkow, for a set that is attractive and functional.
Of course, the play was first produced in 1963, which necessarily dates it a bit, but no changes were made to the price of things, or the fact that most women were not expected to work once they were married, and somehow this does not matter. It is about human feelings, which don’t change much with each generation.
If you want to relax and be entertained, go and see this delightful show, running at the Roxy Theatre until July 14. Go ahead, make your summer perfect! For tickets, go to bluebridgetheatre.ca or call 250-382-3370. You’ll be glad you did.
editor@mondaymag.com
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