Rebecca Northan’s lovable clown alter ego treats audience members to a night of romance, while David Benjamin Tomlinson dons the red nose for two more queer Nights.
Author of the article: Jim Burke • Special to Montreal Gazette Published Apr 14, 2019 • 3 minute read Join the conversationYou can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
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Ever had one of those nightmares where your most intimate moments are exposed to an audience of prying eyes? Improv classic Blind Date, which plays at Centaur to April 28, offers you the chance to live that nightmare for real, as you could be the audience member invited onto the stage for 90 minutes of impromptu romance. And if that’s not scary enough for you yet, it also involves a clown.
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Article contentActually, thanks to the wonderful improv and physical comedy skills of the show’s creator, Rebecca Northan, this much-loved show, now celebrating its 10th year and, come Friday, its 800th performance, turns out to be a dream date, both for participants and audience members alike.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load. Try refreshing your browser, orThe simple but effective concept sees Northan’s Mimi, a lovable waif in a red dress and a nose to match, being stood up at the bistro by her date. She then scours the audience for a replacement man-of-her-dreams. (This moment invariably causes a collective clenching of buttocks from the male section of the audience; in fact, Mimi has already chosen a volunteer in the foyer.) Blind Date is a tricky show to review, partly because it changes nightly with every co-star, partly because its energy is fueled by the date’s, and the audience’s, surprise at each gloriously silly twist. On opening night, 28-year-old Alex (single for eight months, perfect teeth, charmingly self-effacing) was led to the makeshift bistro on stage for a getting-to-know-you session over a glass of wine. Alex’s work in international law and human rights (cue round of applause) and his studies in French philosophy made for some enjoyably eclectic chit-chat. Northan skillfully kept things going with a mix of earnest interest and gently teasing banter. At times, the conversation got incredibly confessional, with Northan herself (with what seemed like genuine spontaneity) revealing some painful family memories.
Advertisement 3 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article contentThere are limits, though, to how real it gets. When Alex gallantly says that one thing he looks for in a woman is a red nose, or when he proposes asking the audience to settle a question, Mimi pulls him over to the “time out” area to amusingly explain the rules of theatrical illusion. It’s probable that a show consisting of 90 minutes of table talk would soon run out of steam. So it’s a relief when the narrative formula takes the pair out of the bistro for some further adventures. There’s delicious comedy to be had from some moments of awkwardness, but the show is never cruel. A perhaps less obvious aspect of Northan’s skill set is that she’s a sensitively protective host. The show is suggested for adult audiences, largely, it seems, because of Mimi’s occasional truck-stop language, but also because the interactions could conceivably switch from flirty to filthy in the blink of an eye. The queer version, which I caught on a preview night, gets a lot raunchier, though its X-rated shenanigans were achieved through an ingenious and very funny theatrical device (which I won’t spoil here) when things got steamy between David Benjamin Tomlinson’s appealingly kooky clown, Mathieu, and his date, Thom, a Montreal tour guide who had a winning way with unforced one-liners. The final stretch of both versions of this fabulously entertaining and full-of-heart show features some of the wildest, most uproarious moments of physical comedy you’ll see in this or any theatre. Definitely one to swipe right. AT A GLANCE Blind Date plays to April 28 at Centaur Theatre, 453 St-François-Xavier St. Queer Performances on Thursdays April 18 and 25. Tickets: $55 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday evenings), $49 (Tuesday, Wednesday evenings), $44 (matinées), seniors: $46 (evening), $40 (previews and matinees), under 30: $30. Call 514-288-3161 or visit centaurtheatre.com.
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