Snip. Snip. Snip. That's the sound of the judicious pruning that Vile Passeist Theatre needs to employ when it stages its next play from the Jacobean era. With a start-to-finish time of over three hours (including a 15-minute intermission) their current production of Marlowe's Edward ll is simply too long and repetitive to enthrall a modern audience. Despite a brilliant (and I mean brilliant) portrayal of the titular king by Ben Irvine, I was ready to finish him with a hot poker myself, just to put an end to the interminable evening. This is a young company oozing with talent and the oh-so earnest desire to bring under-produced theatre to Halifax, but they need to recognize that length does matter. Leave them wanting more, I say, and you'll soon be playing to the packed houses you deserve.
Thu Feb 16, Sat Feb 18, Sun Feb 19, Wed Feb 22, Fri Feb 24, The Bus Stop Theatre, 2203 Gottingen Street, 8pm (2pm Sun Feb 26), $15/$20, 802-5223 or [email protected]
