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by George F. Walker, directed by Ken Gass

Factory Theatre, Factory Theatre Mainspace, Toronto

April 23, 2006

George F. Walker’s comedy Escape from Happiness proved a major hit for Factory Theatre back in 1992.  Walker has since revised the play from its former three hours to two to create a tauter, punchier work.  While the play could stand further pruning, the revival shoots sparks from start to finish.

We meet Nora (Clare Coulter), who lives with a man who may or may not be her husband and father of her three daughters Elizabeth (Irene Poole), Mary Ann (Catherine Fitch) and Gail (Rebecca Auerbach).  The discovery that Gail’s husband has been beaten up and the intervention of two dodgy cops and two dodgier criminals sets us up for a wild ride.  Walker’s strategy invites us to judge characters quickly only to undermine those judgements ruthlessly as the action proceeds.  The tension between what seems to be happening and what actually is happening makes this a comedy that is as smart as it is funny.

The ten members of the first-rate cast all have their moments to shine.  Standouts include Coulter, a joy as a mother whose serene looniness is inseparable from her wisdom; Fitch as a basket-case in the midst of major unraveling; and Poole, whose high-voltage performance lights up the whole show.            

©Christopher Hoile

Note: A version of this review appeared in Eye Weekly 2006-04-06.

Photo: Clare Coulter, Lisa Norton, Irene Poole and Catherine Fitch. ©2006 Ed Gass-Donnelly.