By David McConnell
Another season at the Guelph Little Theatre ended two weeks ago with a final performance of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (ABRIDGED) taking a bow. And while Shakespeare himself requested on his gravestone that “Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare/To dig the dust enclosed here”, it was felt, nevertheless, that a short postmortem of this play might be in order and could serve as a promotional opportunity for the theatre itself. After all, the plays are the thing and Guelph Little Theatre is where they can be seen locally at a price that will not damage anyone’s pocketbooks.
But first, a little history. The Complete Works of Shakespeare (ABRIDGED) initially was created and appeared on stage at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1987. It quickly became London’s longest running comedy after a decade of performances at the Criterion Theatre. Featured are all 37 Shakespearean plays threaded together in a not necessarily seamless manner by a mere three actors. The running time is 97 minutes or thereabouts. A REVISED version followed the original in 2010. The latest version advertised as REVISED AGAIN incorporates changes that help celebrate and encourage greater diversity and inclusivity. This newest rendering is the one that audiences at Guelph Little Theatre were entertained with.
“Buzz. Buzz.” It seems the actors have arrived, so a little time must be devoted to them now. In just two hours, which included an intermission to allow the performers to come up for air, Jack French, Brendan Linwood and Diem Morriswala attempted to “catch the conscience of the king” or in this case the audience members. These three actors, with the strong, supportive assistance of a seasoned production team, managed to maintain the “controlled chaos” necessary to pull this off. Falstaff himself would have applauded the constant frenetic entrances and exits and the continuous costume and gender reveal changes that kept this production fast paced and hilarious. It also helped with the intimacy of the performance that audience members were sometimes included. Some found themselves onstage, others had their seats commandeered for a brief scene and all, at one point, collectively participated in a series of selective chants and arm waving. Madcap to say the least. Serious plays like Romeo and Juliet, Titus Andronicus, Othello, Macbeth, and Hamlet were all mercilessly lampooned. The histories and comedies? They were all thrown into a melting pot and spewed out enthusiastically in one breath in order to keep to the allotted time frame. By the end of the performance, it can be assumed that the actors had likely dropped a few pounds given the play’s energetic physicality. Now, “to draw toward an end with you.” What of “The Globe” itself? At roughly 90 years of age, Guelph Little Theatre has seen several resurrections caused from fire and location changes. But phoenix-like, it has continued to rise from the ashes of previous lives until settling at its current home on Morris Street. These transitions over the years have made it a testament to its resilience and cultural necessity to the community. The current theatre boasts a 250-seat raked auditorium, a large main performance stage, a self-contained rehearsal space, excellent acoustic and lighting systems, a wardrobe room, a makeup/costume change room, a stage construction and storage space, a spacious foyer and lounge area and free parking in the adjoining lot outside. What’s not to like? Finally, one of the most important features that needs to be acknowledged is that every facet of the theatre is run by an eager and dedicated group of volunteers. Without them, Guelph Little Theatre would not exist in the way it does. So, if you have not taken the opportunity yet to attend one of Guelph Little Theatre’s productions, take it upon yourself to do so. There is likely something coming in the future that will appeal to you.
