By Samara Caplan and Laura Gauthier. Laura and Samara spend their days as non-profit unicorns and fill every spare minute exploring the world of musical theatre as BFFs (that’s Broadway Friends Forever). Follow @bffs613 on Instagram and Facebook.
Our favourite summer tradition is back – a Company of Fools’ annual torchlight Shakespeare in the park performances in 35 parks all across Ottawa and surroundings! This year, they bring us a certain super plumber and friends-themed twist to the classic The Comedy of Errors!
After a family is separated by a shipwreck, one brother goes in search for his long-lost twin. Upon arriving, chaos immediately ensues as the brothers are consistently confused for the other. Neither is aware of the other being so near and works to navigate the odd situations they land in.
The Fools bring the story to life with creative costuming representing your favourite characters from the Mushroom Kingdom. Whether it’s the iconic blue overalls and plumber’s hat, the princess dresses, or the Goomba head pieces for the stage hands, the costumes bring you into your favourite video game, while serving you the world of Shakespeare. Costume designer Vanessa Imeson also found ways to build costumes that allowed for quick changes or actors to jump between characters without ever leaving the stage, which often added to the hilarity.
The Comedy of Errors – a Company of Fools
Speaking of hilarity, the actors in this are all fantastic and really bring the video game elements in to add to the humour. Most importantly, they’re quite physical, and it helps to convey the point of the scene for those not up on their Shakespeare. We saw plenty of young (and older!) people still laughing their way through the show, even if ye Olde English might be tricky.
We are always impressed by the unique and individualized staging the Fools put together for each show. The set and props designed by Andrea Steinwand includes a large main stage with rotating main backdrop – one displaying a mushroom house and the other a castle, with the iconic green pipes as side pieces. The set changes between scenes are often set to a theme song you’ll recognize, and it really does make those video game dreams a reality.
The way the Fools consistently bring universal accessibility to Shakespeare’s plays is such a wonderful opportunity for Ottawa families to come out and have some fun and enjoy the great outdoors, and live theatre in such a unique way. It’s no wonder there were 200 people out for the preview show we caught and that they’re in their 35th season! So grab a blanket, pack some snacks, and get ready to laugh along to a next-level production.
a Company of Fools’ The Comedy of Errors takes place at various parks across the city, Mondays through Saturdays at 7 pm until August 16. The performance runs 90 minutes and is pay-what-you-can with a suggested amount of $20.
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