Created by Douglas Newham and Thomas Futter
Produced by Big Towel | Ottawa, ON
Review by Cristina Paolozzi
45 mins / PG / Comedy, Clown, Physical Theatre
Although there isn’t a single word spoken, the message is clear: grave robbing is a tough business.
A grave robber attempts to break into the plot of someone seemingly wealthy, yet deceased (or so you think), all while avoiding the nightwatchman who whistles their way along their shift. The Graveyard Shift brings a whole new light to the art of grave robbing, letting audiences know the dangers and shocks the world of the (not so) dead might have in store.
Banner image from The Graveyard Shift. Photo provided.
Only three figures take the stage, in a slapstick-esque performance that includes a whacky game of charades, an adulterous shovel, and a twist ending even M. Night Shyamalan couldn’t predict.
All three performers work in unison to create a hilarious story without a single line of dialogue, and the costumes perfectly effect the old-timey, spooky atmosphere of a silent graveyard. The props are simple, yet effective, and it certainly didn’t take much to get the audience laughing along to the antics and misfortune on La Nouvelle Scène’s stage.
This performance very much resembles the physical comedy of Buster Keaton and reminded me a lot of the gags from older Bugs Bunny cartoons. It’s clever, sweet, surprising, and a fantastic show to see this Fringe Festival.
The Graveyard Shift is playing at La Nouvelle Scène, Studio A from June 14–21. Tickets are $14 plus service fees at the Fringe box office (3rd floor, Arts Court, 2 Daly Avenue), and at tthe three satellite box offices (LabO in the Ottawa Art Gallery, Fringe Courtyard, 67 Nicholas St and La Nouvelle Scène). Five and ten Show Passes are also available. Visit the Ottawa Fringe Festival’s website for the show’s schedule and check out their online schedule here.
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