The Theatrical Production

Rope at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival

Supplied

1. Rope at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival
2. TIE Trumpets & Raspberries/I Hate Bill Patts 2
3. TIE Angels in America/Comedy Plus Time Equals Tragedy

Winnipeg theatre happens all year long, but to many people it’s all about checking out the Fringe in July. It’s a great testament to the locals that a number of homegrown productions were voted on in this poll, and that a Fringe show beat out big budget productions at the Manitoba Theatre Centre and Prairie Theatre Exchange.

Rhodes scholar Thomas Toles directed this adaptation of the classic 1929 play and based it on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1948 film adaptation and thankfully, not the 2002 remake RSVP starring Jason Mewes. Audiences came out in droves to see local favourites Darcy Fehr and Talia Pura but the reviews were mixed (the film itself gets by on the gimmick of seemingly being done in one take, but is rather dry).

“Flaws here are largely the fault of the dated source material, which simply isn’t suspenseful or macabre enough for modern audiences,” Jill Wilson said in her three star Free Press review. “The dialogue isn’t as witty as it thinks it is, but in any case, the nine members of the local cast fail to capture the requisite rhythm of riposte, nor do they project loudly enough.”

“This stylish stage adaptation of the Hitchcock film is not just Fringe gold - it's among the best pieces of theatre I've seen on any Winnipeg stage in recent years,” Chandra Mayor said in her five star CBC review. “Under the extraordinary directorship of Thomas Toles, every aspect of this production is meticulously crafted, from the staging to the props, costumes, and diction. Pace is crucial to this story, and Toles builds the tension slowly and inexorably.”

Part of the series: The Uniter 30

Published in Volume 68, Number 14 of The Uniter (December 4, 2013)

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