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Multidimensional comedies deliver interactive voyeurism
By Erin Knutson
Cranbrook Community Theatre (CCT) delivers a comical and progressive take in its latest production at Studio Stage Door, a duo of minds, in The Man in the Bowler Hat written by A.A. Milne and directed by Bob McCue and The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard and directed by Kyle Stooshnov.
The production opens with Milne and offers a glimpse into the lives of some zany British characters. These characters are not just larger than life; they are a riot of quirks and eccentricities, providing a thought-provoking commentary on a play’s commentary.
“I put together a stellar crew, including my amazing producer, Elizabeth Ross, our stunning customer, Sandy Kay, our lead technician, William Nicholson and Stephanie Moore, who has every prop conceivable and Sandy Ashby as our stage manager,” said Director Bob McCue.
The Man in the Bowler Hat invites the audience to suspend reality and embrace a multidimensional narrative. Audience members become conscious spectators, observing a pair of voyeurs while watching the main cast in a play.
Initially, the narrative may seem perplexing, but the brilliance of the interpretation gradually unfolds, akin to an onion peeling back its layers.
The actors bring this narrative to life in a farcical and emboldened manner, eliciting laughter from the audience at the hysterical absurdity of the unfolding scenarios in this parody. The play’s unique narrative style, which invites the audience to suspend reality and embrace a multidimensional narrative, must be seen to be fully appreciated.
The play’s crew and production team are partly responsible for executing its multilayered tone. CCT’s stage design, lighting, and digital effects allow the audience to embrace the narrative.
Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound is another comical delight, set in a time of capes, chivalry, moonlight capers, and smoking guns.
Mysterious, murderous, preposterous and highly entertaining.
“Recreating the 1977 Cranbrook Community Theatre production, we attempt to capture the conscience of our East Kootenay audience,” said Stooshnov of the interpretation.
Get your tickets at www.stagedoortheatre.ca and experience the hilarity and intrigue of CCT’s first production of the 2025 season.
Erin Knutson photos
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