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Black Comedy

Hilarious farce on stage
 
The lights are off, and too many people are home.

Dramatic irony and sight gags fill the stage in Shawnigan's production of Black Comedy, running April 23-25 in the Hugh Wilkinson Theatre.

Originally written by Peter Shaffer, the play remains as funny today as it was in 1965, thanks to its non-stop slapstick and physical humour.

Set in the London apartment of Brindsley Miller (Sean B) and his fiancée Carol Melkett (Tai W), the play uses sharp production cues and strong stage direction to develop a system of reverse lighting – When the lights are supposed to be on, the stage is dark; when the lights are off, the stage is illuminated.

What follows quickly becomes farce, as Brindsley's neighbours (Hannah R and Dylan L), would-be father-in-law (Austin P), ex-girlfriend (Cassandra V), repairman (Fanah M), and a wealthy art collector (Hannah R) all arrive on the scene.

Rather than relying on one actor to drive the humour, the entire cast shares in the laughs, with energy that seems to bounce off the walls and throughout the delighted audience.

– Jon Zacks
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