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‘The Gentleman Clothier’ a unique experience for local theatre enthusiasts

March 16, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Constance Scrafield

Say the members of the cast for the upcoming Theatre Orangeville production of Norm Foster’s The Gentleman Clothier: “This one is unique for Norm Foster – he’s never written anything else like it.”

Opening March 23 for the preview, at the Opera House, it makes one wonder what, exactly, is so different about this show.

They did not tell us much. This play is so good that spoiler alerts are out of bounds. Still, we did have a conversation …

The cast of four actors are all coming back to Theatre Orangeville, although they were in various plays, not performing together.

Welcome back to Maria Dinn, who played in that amazing drama Elvis and Mavis; likewise, Jeff Hanson, who assisted with the laughs for Stag and Doe.

Heather Hodgson joined TO for Mending Fences, another Foster work; finally, but far from least in this company of equals, is Stephen Sparks, who gave the performance (of his life?) as Norman Bray in the Performance of his Life.

Mr. Sparks’ character in this play is also Norman – he joked about only playing characters called Norman and that David Nairn will have to find another great play with a Norman so that he can return.

So, here is all the synopsis they would share with me about the plot: that Norman, who is a tailor with a shop, does not like the time of his present-day life, specifically, now.

Indeed, his point is well taken: in this day and age, who can keep up with the rapid and turbulent time in which we live, when the great majority of us barely have any idea exactly about the progression of the technology that runs our lives? And how many people are truly enamoured of this point in history? Not many, if the popularity of period films and fantasy/escape films can attest to a longing for the “olden days” or “some other days”.

Each of the four characters in The Gentleman Clothier has a very different personal story, all of which change profoundly during the surprising course of the play. How they each handle those situations constitutes the basis of the many laughs and the pulls at the heart strings, for which Norm Foster is so famous.

“He has a nice way of combining real human emotions,” commented Mr. Hanson, with Patrick as his role, a man with an ailing daughter.

Adding to the thought, “Each one is different from the others,” said Ms. Dinn, who plays the part of Sophie, a lesbian and employed by Norman in his shop.

As always, when Norm Foster deals his cards of life out to his characters, he expects them to struggle but he also writes some of the funniest lines in Canadian literature for them to deliver as they are making do with their dilemmas.

Mr. Sparks explored the ideas of his own character: “The hero is old fashioned, nostalgic for how he thinks it was the way it should be, long ago. But, actually, there’s no future in the past.”

Taking on the role of Alisha, “a classy lady,” Heather Hodgson remarked, “Her husband  is a problem. She has to deal with that.” She said, “This is a great story –  a lot of heart and very whimsical…”

They agreed amongst them that this play is truly unique in Norm Foster’s repertoire of plays, with twists that are even more surprising than usual, which is saying quite a lot. Huge laughs – we can depend on Mr. Foster for that, as his quirky collection of individuals sort out some sort of compromise amongst them.

“Even with his hallmarks of wit, he hasn’t written a play like this; he’s always grounded in reality. However, there’s a supernatural element here.”

Having said all that, it is the ending that “stops the audience in its tracks and leaves you with plenty to think about.”

“Come and find out what that is,” they said. Well, and we should.

“It’s about making decisions for your own good or the good of others,” Mr. Sparks divulged.

Added Ms. Dinn: “And about following your heart.”

The Gentleman Clothier opens next Thursday, March 23 and runs to April 9 at The Orangeville Town Hall Opera House. Tickets at the Box Office at 87 Broadway or the Tourist Information Centre on Buena Vista Drive and Highway 10; by telephone at 519-942-3423 or online at www.theatreorangeville.ca

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