Reviewed by Mer Weinhold. Mer is an Ottawa-dwelling writer, editor, reviewer, and costuming enthusiast. You can follow them on Twitter.
Bless You, Bonaparte
by Ryan Borochovitz
Sad Ibsen Theatre
55 min / Comedy / PG
On the eve of a crucial battle that could change the course of history, Napoleon Bonaparte (Carol Sinclair) can’t stop sneezing and General Murat (Ellen Manchee) is worried. Can Napoleon’s loyal, foolish valet, Claude Pagaille, do anything to help? Using snazzy costumes, a simple set dressing of painted wooden cubes, plus excellent acting from the entire cast, Bless You, Bonaparte answers this question – but the answer is complicated.
A few of the characterizations have a feeling of commedia dell’arte tradition: Pagaille is a bumbling servant whose role involves physical comedy; Murat is serious and chiefly serves as an obstacle to Pagaille’s plans; Napoleon is portrayed with a good deal of swagger and bravado. This choice brings possibly unfamiliar historical figures into a recognizable frame.
There’s a plot twist about halfway through the play that I was not at all expecting, which gets introduced with the best choreography I can remember seeing in any Fringe show. From there, the story runs off in another direction as Pagaille is drawn into machinations far beyond his comprehension.
On opening night, the director (Jonas McLean) stepped in as understudy for the role of Pagaille and rose to the task admirably. Hopefully the usual actor (Caitlin Hart) is able to return to the stage for the rest of the show’s run, but if not, the cast change didn’t noticeably detract from the experience.
The plot is the only less-than-polished aspect. Bless You, Bonaparte has the feeling of being heavily cut down from a longer work, and I would love to see a longer, expanded version of the play. When the lights went down at the end, I was left wanting more time with the characters, and wanting to see what happened next.
I hugely enjoyed Bless You, Bonaparte. Stop by for a show that’s very entertaining and not too mentally demanding, though attentive, geeky audiences can catch a Star Wars quote. It’s a light, fun play with great acting, clever jokes – and some quick philosophical speculation about the notion of cause and effect – that left me in a good mood and chuckling to myself.
Bless You, Bonaparte by Ryan Borochovitz is playing at Academic Hall (133 Séraphin-Marion) until Sunday June 18, 2017. Tickets cost $12 online and at the door. Visit ottawafringe.com for the show schedule and box office info. Apt613 is trying to see every show on opening weekend of the 2017 Ottawa Fringe Festival. Read more reviews at apt613.ca/fringe.
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