BLIND DATE: A Spontaneous Theatre Creation
Blind DAte
A magical marriage of clown and improvisation, Blind Date by Rebecca Northan is original, fresh, and hilarious. What can a seasoned professional (in a clown nose) possibly have to talk about with a random audience member who works in research in international law? Well, after covering Sartre (God is dead… actually I believe that was Nietzsche), they moved on to Kant and Descartes, and finally got around to what their ideal dates would be like.
As a playwright, I might have felt a bit threatened by this beautiful unscripted piece of theatre. Then I relaxed and thought about the flawless structure of the show. It was designed by a theatre professional and worked like any great comedy.
Once the audience accepted the premise and Northan explained the “fourth wall” as a theatre convention during a “time out”, the rest of the show was surprisingly seamless, delightfully funny, and amazingly heart warming. Most touching of all was, on leaving the theatre, I ran into a small group of millennials trying to re-enact one of the key scenes on the steps of the theatre.
One must wonder whether ALL the audience participants are as “at ease” articulate and charming as the one who was chosen for opening night. Nonetheless, Northan has created an almost fool proof structure which is both unpredictable and brilliant. Her wit and timing are stunning and we have the original creator here in Montreal, as an added gift.
This is a magical and perfect end to a miserable and unusually long winter. Put on you spring dud and head out to the Centaur.
Blind Date is at the Centaur Theatre until the 28th of April . There is a gay version of the show on Thursday nights. Info on tickets is HERE.
