COMEDY, WIT SHINE AS CAST DRAWS OUT THE LAUGHS
Expressive choreography and vocals, memorable banter bring Lucky Stiff to life
Show #19: Lucky Stiff Where: Sir Robert Borden High School
Director: Christine Lalande Shannon Noah, Critic
With striking humour and powerful vocals, Sir Robert Borden High School’s Lucky Stiff surpassed all expectations.
Lucky Stiff is an off-Broadway comedic farce that features a British salesman on a quest to ensure his inheritance of $6 million from his late uncle. There, however, is a catch, which includes wheeling the corpse of his dead American relative through the streets of Monte Carlo. He soon finds out that one slip up in his deceased uncle’s wishes will result in the entirety of the fortune being donated to a dog rescue shelter, headed by the mousey yet fiery Annabel Glick.
Sir Robert Borden High School emphasized the comical themes present in Lucky Stiff, with exaggerated physicality and animated expressions. The expressive choreography and vocals helped to individualize the unique characters and hilarious plot. The cast successfully worked off one another to create witty, memorable banter and highlight the ridiculousness of certain scenes.
Tommy Schnarr contributed humour and charm to his character, Harry Witherspoon, through the heartfelt delivery of lines and his comedic timing. During his interactions with Annabel, he was able to soften from the overly professional, British shoe salesman to a lovable, relatable character. As the other lead, Ariella Ruby as Annabel Glick played the stern, spirited dog rescuer with passion. Her sweet soprano was highlighted in numbers such as Times Like This, emphasizing her strong vocals while staying true to her character. The two leads played off one another throughout the production, their chemistry and dynamic shining through in Dogs Versus You.
Helen Patriarche played the unstable yet hilarious Rita La Porta, with animated physicality and perfect comedic timing. This was especially highlighted in interactions with her disgruntled and flustered optometrist brother, Dr. Vincent Di Ruzzio, played by Andris Skuja. Likewise,
Skuja brought Dr. Vincent to life through his uneasy facial expressions and strong vocals, which were showcased in the song Phone Call.
The makeup accurately represented the atmosphere of the production, with bright red lips and gold highlights for the casino-goers, and sombre, plainer makeup for characters
deriving from the gloomy setting of London. Likewise, the costumes successfully emphasized the personalities of each individual character, specifically Dominique’s fishnet leggings opposed to Annabel Glick’s practical businesslike attire.
Set designers Hannah Draper, Jamison Smythe, Harmony Brown, and Naomi Duheme successfully
transformed the stage into a casino, a bedroom, and an office. The handmade props such as the airplane oxygen masks added a touch of charm and humour to their featured scenes.
The lighting crew conveyed the mood of every scene effectively. For instance, during the feverish nightmare scene, the flashing lights created a sense of panic, enhancing the emotions of the characters. As well, the soft disco ball lighting of the sweet interaction between Harry and Annabel created a sense of tranquility and tenderness. The pit band in the background added a sense of movement and intensity to numbers such as Welcome Back, Mr. Witherspoon, enhancing the effectiveness of the production.
Overall, Sir Robert Borden High School delivered a highly memorable and comedic performance, and left the audience, unlike the late Uncle Anthony, very much alive.