Now on stage until May 18 at Toronto’s Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre 26 Berkeley Street
With an absurd plot development piquing curiosity, ‘The Roof is Leaking’ is a production that grabs attention. However, playwrights Davinder Malhi and Sanskruti Marathe’s script’s ending leaves me puzzled.
A contemporary drama with comic moments set in Brampton, Davinder Malhi and Sanskruti Marathe’s ‘The Roof is Leaking’ ਛੱਤ ਚੋਂਦੀ ਹੈ) explores a Canadian Punjabi family grieving the sudden loss of its patriarch.
Some absurd plot developments take centre stage, which initially throws my concentration.
Through a courtroom set up by the characters in the living room, matriarch Sandeep (Dharini Woollcombe) wants to divorce her husband now that he is gone. Sandeep is hellbent on re-capturing her freedom, which she believes was taken from her when she married.
Hmmm… indeed an absurd notion. The family playing roles in a courtroom just sounded a tad cheesy initially. How can Sandeep seek a divorce since she is now her husband’s widow?
Sandeep’s decision to seek a divorce affects the other characters who arrive to console the family. Two of the three adult children still live at home. Moody’s son Gurvir (Harry Gill) remains in his room and rarely communicates with his Jaspinder (Sarena Parmar), and mother Sandeep. Gurvir’s conversation with his aunt near the end of the play reveals a secret that might not sit well with his mother. Jaspinder (Sarena Parmar) appears bossy and controlling. Daughter Meena (Tia Sandhu), who lives in London, Ontario, is overwrought and overacts with great emotion upon leaving the city to be with her family. Sometimes, Meena’s unseen boyfriend, who telephones quite a bit, divides her limited attention span with her family during this tumultuous time.
The arrival of the patriarch’s brother Arjun (Sarabjeet Arora), his wife Kiran (Kiran Kaur) and their daughter Munni (Harit Sohal) further complicates issues. Arjun wants to commemorate his brother’s memory while pointing out to his nephew Gurvir that he is now the ‘man of the house.’ Gurvir recognizes this fact but is uncertain whether he wants to adopt this title. The arrival of estranged auntie Sukhminder (Harpreet Sehmbi) further complicates the growing tension within the family over the death of Sandeep’s husband.
‘The Roof is Leaking’ is worth a look. The absurd notion of a widow wanting to divorce her now-dead husband makes for an intriguing look into this family’s dynamics. Why? Mothers are always the figures who do their best to keep the family together. Shouldn’t Sandeep be doing this as well?
But something’s not right when the family decides to set up a courtroom in the living room to decide if Sandeep will earn the right to divorce her deceased husband.
Why? Initially, that choice seems a tad too cheesy.
But it works in this case because the courtroom offers grounded performances by some characters as they examine and cross-examine each other, specifically in Sarena Parmar and Tia Sandhu’s work.
Jackie Chau’s set design creatively encompasses three rooms: the living/family room is centre stage with the dining stage right and the kitchen stage left. Along the back wall, there are cracks in the foundation, showing that everything in the house, including the structure and the family, is not alright. For the most part, Simran Kapoor’s lighting design fluidly transitions back and forth between the scenes; however, there are moments in the living/family room when Sandeep is in shadow as she stands behind the chair. Gurpreet Chana’s sound design of the dripping water in the kitchen remains ominously omnipresent.
Ash Knight’s direction remains sound. He presents very real people who grapple with their emotions, especially since the subject of death can do that to people. Knight’s direction presents some lovely on-stage moments. One occurs between estranged auntie Sukhminder and her nephew, Gurvir. Sehmbi and Gill effectively showcase their skills as actors who eagerly speak and listen to each other with respect and trust. There’s an evident bond of closeness between auntie and nephew.
It’s the ending that still puzzles me.
I understand how the title reflects what’s occurring within the play. Physically, the house needs work, and it’s understandable when Sandeep says she’s considering selling it and moving on. The family relationships also need work. (Spoiler alert) The characters look at the fallout and debris when the roof collapses. Is this a sign of bad things to come? It’s not clear what this means.
The play’s conclusion leaves much to be desired. Hopefully, the playwrights will revisit the ending to give the audience a more satisfying and conclusive resolution.
Running time: approximately 80 minutes with no interval/intermission.
‘The Roof is Leaking’ runs until May 18 at the Berkeley Street upstairs theatre, 26 Berkeley Street. For tickets to the final performances, visit: Pleiades Theatre | Toronto | The Roof is Leaking
‘THE ROOF IS LEAKING’ ਛੱਤ ਚੋਂਦੀ ਹੈ) by Davinder Malhi and Sanskruti Marathe
Directed and Dramaturged by Ash Knight
Sound Designer: Gurpreet Chana
Set Designer: Jackie Chau
Costume Designer: Des’ree Gray
Lighting Designer: Simranm Kapoor
Stage Manager: Jennifer Stobart
Production Manager: Aaheli Mukherjee
Performers: Sarabjeet Arora, Harry Gill, Kiran Kaur, Sarena Parmar, Tia Sandhu, Harpreet Sehmbi, Harit Sohal, Dharini Woollcombe
