King Theatre Company’s production, directed with subtlety by Iain Moggach, features strong performances from Chloë Rose Flowers and Josh Palmer, although extended exposition slows the first act.
King Theatre Company’s Canadian premiere of Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace, adapted for the stage by Jennifer Blackmer, brings a story of disputed memory and a double murder to Schomberg. Atwood’s 1996 novel draws loosely on an 1843 murder case in the York Region area where the company is based.
Blackmer’s adaptation moves between past and present, introducing Grace Marks at ages 16 and 30. In his programme note, director Iain Moggach describes a world of memory, imagination, desire, analysis and spectacle. The staging reflects that shifting perspective, leaving the audience to weigh competing accounts of the past.
In 1843, sixteen-year-old Grace Marks (Chloë Rose Flowers) works as a maid on the estate of Thomas Kinnear (Andrew Pawarroo). His housekeeper, Nancy Montgomery (Mira Korngold), is also his mistress. Grace and the stable boy, James McDermott (José Andrés Bordas), face difficult conditions at the estate. After Kinnear and Montgomery are found murdered, Grace and McDermott are accused and imprisoned.
Grace says she has no recollection of the murders.
Later, at the home of Mrs. Rachel Lavell (Cora Kennedy), Grace meets Dr. Simon Jordan (Josh Palmer), who uses talk therapy to explore the memories she cannot recall.
The conversations between Grace and Simon form the play’s central thread. Figures from Grace’s past, including her friend Mary Whitney (Katelyn Doyle), complicate the account of what happened at the estate. Simon’s own past and motivations also raise questions about his methods and his reliability.
Under Moggach’s subtle direction, the production favours restraint, keeping the psychological tension between Grace and Simon at the forefront. While it’s necessary to present important plot information, the first act, however, carries a considerable amount of exposition, and some passages would benefit from trimming. The staging sustains interest in the central mystery without relying on elaborate theatrical effects.
The production uses a three-quarter-round seating arrangement. Lisa Van Oorschot’s low lighting and the prominent use of red establish an atmosphere of foreboding from the opening. Daniel Tessy’s original composition and sound design reinforce that unease, while Fae Smith’s costumes evoke the period.
The opening-night ensemble is led by persuasive performances from Flowers and Palmer.
Flowers gives Grace a sense of resolve, with a convincing Irish accent and a particularly arresting performance in the hypnosis scene. Palmer conveys Simon’s growing uncertainty as the investigation draws him beyond his professional footing. His attraction to Grace sharpens the question of professional boundaries.
The supporting performances deepen the uncertainty around Grace’s account.
Pawarroo makes Kinnear an intimidating, controlling presence, while Korngold gives Montgomery a sharp edge in her dealings with Grace. Kennedy’s haughty Lavell uses gestures of authority to assert her power over Simon, highlighting the influence of class. Doyle’s understated Mary Whitney makes the character’s eventual fate affecting. Bordas brings emotional intensity to McDermott, and Adam Brooks plays Jeremiah with a grandiose manner that suggests deception.
In her programme note as artistic director, Flowers observes that Alias Grace asks difficult questions that may remain unanswered when audiences leave the Schomberg Community Hall.
Despite the first act’s considerable exposition, King Theatre Company’s opening-night production offers a thoughtful examination of memory, identity, and the elusive nature of truth. Flowers and Palmer anchor the drama with performances that sustain its psychological tension, while the restrained staging allows Atwood’s unsettling questions to linger. King Theatre Company’s Canadian premiere merits a VOICE CHOICE.
Running time: approximately two hours and ten minutes, including one intermission.
The production runs to November 15 at the Schomberg Community Hall, 325 Main Street, Schomberg. For tickets, visit kingtheatre.ca or call (647) 622-6055 or email kingtheatrecompany@gmail.com
KING THEATRE COMPANY and HOSPALL HOMECARE present
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.
Adapted for the stage by Jennifer Blackmer
Directed by Iain Moggach
Produced and Set Designed by Iain Moggach
Costume Design: Fae Smith
Original Composition and Sound Design by Daniel Tessy
Lighting Design by Lisa Van Oorschot
Set Construction by Gord Hebert
Intimacy Coordination by Alayna Kellett-Molotkow
Performers: Chloë Rose Flowers, José Andrés Bordas, Adam Brooks, Alea Carrington, Katelyn Doyle, Josh Palmer, Cora Kennedy, Mira Korngold, Andrew Pawarroo, Brandon James Sim
