Play Review: “The Foursome” @ The Domino Theatre
The Foursome, by Canadian playwright Norm Foster, is a comedy which examines the evolution of a friendship between four old college buddies. Ted, the heavy drinker; Cameron, the worrywart; Rick, the schemer; and Donnie, the dork.
The four friends get back together to attend a 15-year university reunion. The dialogue unfolds—along with the quirks of each character—throughout the duration of an 18-hole game of golf at the Windemere Golf and Country Club. Amid all the wisecracks, practical jokes, and betting, Ted, Cameron, Rick, and Donnie manage—in their own crass way—to uncover some serious issues affecting their individual lives since graduation.
The acting in this play was executed with ease and each role was well cast. Jamie Schoular was convincing in his portrayal of “Rick,” the smarmy commerce graduate. Schoular delivered his numerous lines with a confidence and energy that made him stand out as a leader. Graham Irvine as “Cameron,” Glen Piper as “Ted”, and John Corrigan as “Donnie” were all persuasive in their respective roles and brought individual style and life to the performance. The four actors had a great chemistry, which made the humour come alive, despite the heavy dialogue.
Though the acting was impressive, the structure of The Foursome was a setback. Each scene commenced with a tee-off and ended after each player hit his first drive. This obviously limited the possible action considerably. The repetitiveness was problematic and forced the audience to mentally count down each hole.
The set design also did little to engage the audience. Each scene had one of two alternating backdrops; either a brick or a latticework backdrop with a projected scene from a golf course on a large screen above. As the actors entered the stage, they were always accompanied by a sound effect, such as birds chirping or cars whizzing by. Although the set was quite realistic and the rotating backdrop was an innovative solution to the small stage, it’s repetitiveness combined with the unvarying nature of golf made for a monotonous framework.
The audience was evidently filled with golfers because the one-liners were almost always answered with a roar of loud laughter. The atmosphere was great and added a fun energy to the performance.
The Domino Theatre’s rendition of Foster’s play, directed by Tim Picotte, was a hit. Despite minor problems, the set, the acting and the costumes combined to provide an entertaining evening for theatregoers.
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