Mental health is everywhere these days, and we need to talk more about it. Maybe you know someone who suffers from anxiety, emotional trauma, and psychological difficulties that affect their daily lives. Social services are better now than they ever have been with supports like CAMH, 988: Suicide Crisis Helpline, Employee Assistance Programs and community mental health clinics. But is this enough? Is caring enough?
That’s what Canadian playwright/director George F. Walker posits in his latest production, World on Fire, now on stage at Assembly Theatre in Toronto’s Parkdale. Through the experiences of social worker, Jules (Elizabeth Friesen) and her “assistant” Dr. Emilio (Alex Clay), Walker addresses important issues of mental health, homelessness, trauma, and social inequality. The play encourages audiences to reflect on society’s responsibility toward vulnerable individuals and the limits of compassion in our flawed system. You can’t help but be affected by it!
Told in the very small black box space of the Assembly, Madeleine Rosenberg’s set consists of four chairs, a bench and a folding room divider, an office or waiting room. On the back wall, four silhouetted cut-out heads with symbols of thought, exclamation and confusion pasted above each.
We are introduced, one by one, to Jules’ clients. First is Annie (Marline Yan), a runaway who has been living on the streets since childhood. Then there is David (David Huband), the sole survivor of a family tragedy after his parents drove themselves off a cliff in an act of familicide. Next, we meet Marius (Chris Peterson), a man overwhelmed by fears and anxiety whose numerous phobias have become utterly debilitating. Finally, there is Casey (Anne van Leeuwen), a homeless woman with a fierce passion for social justice issues.
Though these characters appear disparate on the surface, their struggles ultimately unite them. Their stories reveal a painful truth: mental illness is often misunderstood, stigmatized, and inadequately treated—if it is treated at all. Through their experiences, the play exposes the human cost of these failures while emphasizing the need for greater compassion, understanding, and support.
Costumes, lighting, and props are minimal and understated, keeping the focus squarely on the storytelling and the impeccable performances. The production wisely avoids unnecessary embellishment, allowing the characters and their struggles to remain at the forefront.
Elizabeth Friesen delivers a compelling performance as Jules, a dedicated but exhausted social worker striving to support her clients while navigating the complexities of their troubled lives. Determined to help without imposing judgment, she walks a delicate line between empathy and professional restraint. Friesen’s quiet, soft-spoken delivery provides a steady centre amid the emotional turbulence surrounding her. As the one constant presence on stage, she serves as the audience’s guide through these intersecting stories. Thank goodness she never leaves the stage—Jules is the backbone of the production, and Friesen carries that responsibility with grace, warmth, and unwavering conviction.
As Annie, Marline Yan delivers a remarkable performance, capturing the potty-mouthed, drug-addicted street youth with authenticity and conviction. On the street after the performance, I passed two young people who briefly felt like echoes of Annie—a testament to how completely Yan inhabits the role. There is nothing artificial or contrived about her work. Annie feels lived-in rather than invented, a young woman shaped by hardship and survival. Yan conveys a profound emotional weight beneath the character’s bravado and rough exterior. Sadness is not something she openly displays; it is something she carries. The result is a deeply moving portrayal that invites empathy without ever asking for it, revealing the humanity beneath the scars of a difficult life. Wonderful work!
David Huband’s portrayal of David is multi-faceted and richly textured. He’s complex and instantly relatable. Beneath his neatly dressed, well-adjusted retiree image is a man whose eccentric charm belies his unresolved trauma. He’s a man who is at once funny, likable, and haunted by his past.
Chris Peterson gives an outstanding performance as Marius, a man whose many fears and phobias diminish even his tall physical presence. With his head perpetually lowered and a demeanour marked by timidity and childlike apprehension, Peterson convincingly conveys a character trapped by anxiety. It is a nuanced, compelling, and highly effective interpretation.
You can’t take your eyes off Anne van Leeuwen as Casey, a homeless mother of two whose children have recently been taken into care by child services. Casey’s story is perhaps the most heartbreaking and unsettling of the group, and van Leeuwen embodies the character’s accumulated trauma with extraordinary commitment. Twitchy, fidgety, and at times seemingly frozen by her emotional turmoil, Casey is a woman pushed to the edge by circumstances beyond her control. Van Leeuwen delivers a beautifully complex performance that is both subtle and explosive, blending moments of raw intensity with remarkable restraint. It is a captivating, deeply affecting portrayal.
At the periphery is Dr. Emilio, played with conviction by Alex Clay. He is the psychiatrist whose methods and influence are questioned throughout the play. His officious portrayal represents an institutional approach to mental health, and questionable treatments make you question his authority and commitment.
Director Walker makes excellent use of the intimate performance space, moving his characters around the small stage with purpose and conviction. Despite the venue’s limited dimensions, the staging never feels cramped or restrictive. Instead, Walker creates a sense of fluidity and momentum, allowing the actors to inhabit the space naturally while maintaining clear focus and natural composition throughout.
Go see World on Fire, a play about mental health, social inequality, trauma, and how our flawed social system isn’t doing enough about any of it. By focusing on marginalized individuals and those who work to support them, Walker suggests we do more than think critically about society’s responsibilities and the need for meaningful change. It’s a powerful commentary on the challenges faced by vulnerable people and the importance of empathy and understanding.
Caring is necessary, but is caring alone enough?
Don’t miss this important work!
Runs approximately 60 minutes with no intermission.
The production runs until June 7 at The Assembly Theatre, 1479 Queen St. West, Toronto
For tickets – TheAssemblyTheatre@gmail.com
WORLD ON FIRE THEATRE COLLECTIVE presents
World on Fire, written and directed by George F. Walker
Performers: Alex Clay, Elizabeth Friesen, David Huband, Chris Peterson, Anne van Leeuwen, Marline Yan.
