‘The Gig’ promises queenly comedy at Aquarius
“The Gig,” the next Theatre Aquarius production to hit the boards, is set to open Fridayand it marks the debut here as a playwright for Mark Crawford, though he has appeared twice as an actor.
Crawford, who appeared in previous Theatre Aquarius seasons in “Opening Night” and “See How They Run,” has developed into one of Canada’s most popular playwrights with such hits as “Stag and Doe,” “Bed and Breakfast,” “The Birds and the Bees” and “The New Canadian Curling Club,” and he is celebrated for his comedic flair.
“The Gig” promises to deliver once again on that score as it deposits onto the stage three drag queens who have been hired to perform at a private function, but there’s a catch. The event is a campaign fundraiser for a Conservative politician, and the queens struggle with the implications and the difficulty of agreeing on how to proceed.
In the meantime, the rookie candidate and the candidate’s campaign manager are trying to bring off a message of inclusivity. The hilarity escalates with, added to the mix, an unimpressed venue technician and a long-standing MP forced into retirement.
Crawford has been nominated for the Playwrights’ Guild of Canada Comedy Award and the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. As an actor he is currently appearing in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre. He is a graduate of Theatre and Drama Studies at University of Toronto.
The play runs from March 10 to 25 with opening night also featuring the announcement at 7 p.m., before the 7:30 p.m. curtain rise for the play, of Theatre Aquarius’s 50th season.
For more, call 905-5227529. JEFF MAHONEY IS A HAMILTONBASED REPORTER AND COLUMNIST COVERING CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE STORIES, COMMENTARY AND HUMOUR FOR THE SPECTATOR. JMAHONEY@THESPEC.COM