The Foreigner

Postcard review by Caroline Russell-King

Show – The Foreigner

Playwrights/Composers – Larry Shue

Production Company/Theatre space – (community) Rosebud Theatre, Rosebud

Length – 2 ACT (2 hours, 15 mins, one intermission.)

Genre/s – Comi-drama

Premise – A shy man, who prefers not to speak English, finds out all the secrets at the lodge and saves it and its inhabitants from destruction.

Why this play? Why now? – An astutely topical political comedy.

Curiosities – Why would a person carrying a heavy tray not take the most direct route to the table?

Notable Moment – The deflating of a particular character is both memorable dramatically and comedically.

Notable writing – Sadly, Larry Shue’s play from the 80’s is still thematically current. This is a repeat play on the Rosebud roster, has played in Calgary, and in professional houses all around the world. Combining humour with hatred is hard to do and Shue does this exceedingly well.

Notable performances – Nathan Schmidt in the eponymous role is becoming Rosebud’s leading comic man. Schmidt embodies a certain Sheldon Cooper-like character (except he’s interested in women) and gets all of his laughs. However, Brent Gill has the strongest performance; it’s hard to be both silly and sinister but he commits 100% and pulls it off.

Notable design/Production – Master set designer Morris Ertman layers thematic meaning while facilitating text. He incorporates a white pitched pointed roof and whitewashed walls which are a subtle nod to the common enemy (and maybe show how pervasive this is built into society?).

Notable direction – Heather Pattengale, who is well known as an established actor, takes over the director’s chair . She directs with the skill of a seasoned vet. Mixing a frighting realism with frothy farce is difficult – but she pulls it off splendidly. Her casting of the Betty Meeks character underscored the stakes of the play, putting the character at greater peril than the others.*

*since publication Heather wanted it noted that the credit for casting goes to Morris Ertman.

One reason to see this show – This is worth the drive – go.