Jeff Irving (photo credit: Riyad Mustapha)
Brimming With Potential
Theatre 20 bursts onto the Toronto stage with a Tour de Force
by Stuart Munro
When Theatre 20 announced they would be opening their inaugural season with a Canadian musical I had never heard of, I admit I was perplexed. It seemed an awful risk to launch a company with such untested material. But at the same time I was forced to ask: what was it about this musical that convinced Artistic Director, Adam Brazier, to take a chance on an unknown property? Thursday night gave me, and Toronto, an answer to this question. A harrowing story told with passion and conviction, crafted by a director unafraid to take risks, have made for a difficult and challenging, but ultimately rewarding and extraordinary night at the theatre.
I don’t mean to suggest Bloodless is poorly structured or somehow below par, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.
Bloodless: The trial of Burke and Hare is the tale of William Burke and William Hare, two Irishmen living in early 19th century Edinburgh. Hare and his wife Margaret own a small rooming house, but business has been bad, and after finding one of their tenants dead, the two Williams sell the cadaver to a local medical lecturer for a handsome sum. Before the end of the evening, 16 corpses in all have been turned over for profit. The grim plot and Victorian setting make comparisons to Sweeney Todd inevitable (in fact, the pair behind me on the way out were doing just that), but if Bloodless lacks some of the finesse of that epic work, it somehow feels more grim and sinister, because, you see, the plot of Bloodless is based on a true story.
I don’t mean to suggest Bloodless is poorly structured or somehow below par, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. Writer and composer Joseph Aragon has put together a very well-crafted and finely-tuned show with some extraordinary music and sharp, cutting lyrics. His book almost always leads seamlessly into his songs, and the one or two moments when I wasn’t sure why we were seeing a particular scene became clear minutes later. Everything had a purpose and very little was superfluous. My only criticism (and I hesitate to mention it at all) was the ending of Act I, which seemed a tad sudden and a touch too cheerful for all that had come before it. Nevertheless, Mr. Aragon is a writer I hope to hear much more from very soon.
Director Adam Brazier has managed to assemble a stellar ensemble of actors, and the success of the production is thanks, in no small part, to their talent. Leading the company are Evan Buliung as William Burke, Eddie Glen as William Hare, Jan Alexandra Smith as Helen McDougal (Burke’s wife), and Trish Lindtsröm as Margaret Hare. The four have a wonderful chemistry together, with Buliung’s forbidding presence finding a nice counter in Glen’s kinder demeanor. Smith’s comic elements lighten the mood when appropriate, and Lindtsröm’s scheming nature is balanced by her tender and clear voice. These are four actors in their prime giving performances which, alone, are worth the price of admission. But the entire ensemble is fully on the mark, and while it would be impossible to list each by name, Jeff Iriving as the medical student who senses something is wrong, Kaylee Harwood as early victim Mary Paterson, and Sweeney MacArthur as the prosecutor cum narrator William Rae all give memorable performances.
The set design by Beth Kates is a simple collection of curtains, staircases, and catwalks which all help to suggest the mood of Victorian Scotland. Stephen Ross’s lighting is appropriately dark and atmospheric with perhaps a little too much red at times, and Melanie McNeill’s costumes are a mostly effective collection of dirty and worn working class garments, with only a few pieces looking as though they may not have properly fit. The only real technical issue was the sound design, with some mics not being on at the right time and the odd bit of static now and then.
If there were a few design issues, they were completely overshadowed by Brazier’s skilled and fluid direction. The pacing is always spot on (especially in the second act where it would be easy to let it drag on), and his actors always move with purpose. The few group numbers in the show are enhanced with simple but effective movement, helping to underlay the tension. The show is subtitled “The trial of Burke and Hare,” and Brazier never lets us forget this. The actors, when not in a scene, are often still visible, watching as if from a gallery, and the character of Advocate William Rae addresses the audience as “members of the jury,” making our own role in the drama all the more personal.
Bloodless: The trial of Burke and Hare is an intense experience. Its macabre sense of humour might not work for everyone, and there are a few moments that could use a little tightening. But these minor (and I do mean minor) qualms do nothing to take away from the incredible and moving experience I had at the Panasonic Theatre on Thursday night. To quote the author’s notes, Bloodless is full of “Things That Should Not Be In Musicals.” I’m not sure who exactly decided what should and should not be in a musical, but it’s only when those notions are challenged that the genre can move forward. Bloodless does exactly that.
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