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Dates & Venue 11 September – 12 October 2014Tues – Sun 8pm (matinees on Sat & Sun 2pm) | Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage Reviewer Roger Wayne Eberle It was the contrasts of ineluctable youthful inelegance and inexorable energy mixed with the equally intrepid vitality, idealism and inviolable—if dappled— integrity of the nonagenarian lead that stood out most vividly as I reflected upon the opening night performance of 4000 Miles. Upon reaching Manhattan after a momentous bicycle trek from Seattle, Leo (Nathan Barrett) decides to pay a visit to his 91-year old grandmother Vera (Nicola Cavendish). After a few days this unlikely pair manages to unpack most of Leo’s baggage (much more than his backpack holds, I assure you), and slowly a psychically devastating backstory emerges—much fodder for the ‘fun and games’ which ensue. Ms. Cavendish makes not one false move among all the amusing fits and starts, memory gaps, hearing aid fiascos and the occasional apoplectic outburst. Her comedic timing is so precise that the Swiss could set their clocks by it. Cavendish’s performance is not only a flawless portrayal of a flawed individual, it is a positive affirmation that the elderly, for all their flaws and foibles have a significant contribution to make in the world. There is also a palpable chemistry between Cavendish and Barrett. You can feel the genuine warmth of those grandmotherly hugs, and after you hear Barrett’s abortive (because her hearing aid was out) attempt to tell Vera the rest of the story about his ride, compassion heightens the verisimilitude. Authenticity is also at the heart of Agnes Tong’s portrayal of Amanda. Tong gives a memorable if brief performance as the wildflower of an Asian girl Leo brings home one night. She delivers her lines with a combination of zestful animation, mischievous mirth, and petulant poise. She plays coy until Leo’s momentous disclosure, then she dives onto his lap and locks his lips in a luscious embrace. Her appearance on stage is a highlight of this production. Although the role of Leo’s girlfriend Bec (Ella Simon) is not a particularly memorable one, Ms. Simon does a creditable job of breathing life into it. Nathan Barrett shines with a restive energy and a relentless kind of passionate intensity. A couple of his past memories haunt him more than a little, and although he does his best to sublimate them he cannot quite obviate their debilitating effects. Vera’s political views and that buoyant energy that belies her years do provide a temporary buttress for him, and the chemistry of these two actors has been mentioned; but the moments that Barrett is on stage alone, particularly when he is holding a solitary conversation on the computer with his adopted sister (for whom Amanda has been somewhat of a subliminal surrogate) are among some of the most memorable of this performance. 4000 Miles is every bit the incredible journey it sounds like, and if you take in this fascinating Arts Club production, you will meet four memorable characters along the way. Director Roy Surette works wonders with Amy Herzog’s sprawling script, tightening up the entrances and exits, rendering comic flourishes with carefree caustic abandon, crafting curmudgeonly acceptance of youthful recalcitrance, and pulling out unexpectedly ebullient flashes of physicality. © 2014 Roger Wayne Eberle |
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