REVIEW: Sparks fly in Norm Foster’s uproarious Lakefront

iPhoto caption: Lakefront production still courtesy of Lighthouse Festival Theatre.

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/By Janine Marley / Aug 29, 2024

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Ever get the feeling you’ve lost your moxie? 

Well, retirees Christina and Robert were feeling that way when they met each other at a wedding a few weeks ago. During the reception, their intoxicated selves concocted an idea to help them get over their respective anxieties. Renting a lakefront cabin seemed like a great idea at the time — but now that they’re sober, they have to go through with it. 

Norm Foster has written a hilarious, truthful story about getting your groove back — or realizing you never lost it at all —  with his new play Lakefront. In its world premiere directed by Jeffrey Wetsch at Lighthouse Festival Theatre, Lakefront is not only a love letter to Canada, but also a love letter to love. 

The premise of the play is simple: Christina (Melodee Finlay) and Robert (Ralph Small) have booked a cabin together at the erroneously named Lakefront Cabins to see if spending a night or two together will help them find their mojo again. Upon arrival, they meet Duane (Derek Ritschel, also the artistic director of Lighthouse Festival Theatre), who’s watching over the cabins for the week while his parents are on vacation. Duane has a habit of popping in at precisely the wrong time, punctuating Robert and Christina’s most intimate moments with a clunky greeting or non-sequitur. But as Robert and Christina open up and start trusting each other, we see the beginning of an interpersonal bond that can survive these grating interruptions.

Foster’s writing is full of wit and humour, as audiences across Canada have come to know and love. With that in mind, Lakefront has a decidedly small-town Ontario flair to it. Jokes about Winnipeg in the winter, curling, and the unyielding boredom of children’s hockey make Lakefront feel like home. From Duane’s habit of barging into the cabin unannounced to the inevitable rush of patrons at the local restaurant on “fruit cup Friday,” Lakefront embraces all the clichés of rural life in the best way possible. It’s fitting that the first run of Lakefront is taking place in Port Dover and Port Colborne, both beautiful small communities that resemble the one in the text. (Except, of course, these ports actually have stunning lakefront views.)

Eric Bunnell’s set design fully embodies the rustic charm of Foster’s script. The warmth of the wooden cabin and stone hearth emanates against the bare, snow-covered trees surrounding the cottage. The trees themselves are unique, too, at times looking more like sign posts than tree branches, and yet their wooden construction aesthetically complements the rest of the set. Kevin Fraser’s lighting, as well, bathes the set in lovely, while the plaid couch and chair add a tasteful amount of Canadiana to the set, matched by the Buffalo checks of Duane’s costumes (designed by Alex Amini). 

Finlay and Small have impeccable chemistry as Christina and Robert. Lakefront starts out steeped in first date awkwardness, complete with delicious tension that ebbs and flows throughout the first act of the play. At the matinee I attended, Small’s delivery of Robert’s more anxious moments caused belly laughs to echo through the theatre; for the first hour or so, Robert is clearly trying so hard to impress Christina, yet none of his tactics seem to work. But as Robert and Christina open up to one another, Finlay gets to relish some of Foster’s funnier one-liners and quips, which when I attended made Small burst out into real laughter several times, adding some real-life zip to Foster’s prescribed dialogue. 

However, it’s Ritschel’s comedic timing that steals the show. Duane has a sweet, slightly oblivious demeanour to his intrusions that makes him immediately loveable — with just a dash of chaos and irritation. 

As a theatre critic based in Toronto and not often exposed to Foster’s work, I found it inspiring to get to spend an afternoon with Canada’s most-programmed playwright — his plays are a pointed reminder that getting older doesn’t have to mean that you’re getting boring or undesirable. There are so many assumptions and fears around aging which have been perpetuated throughout our society, and time and again, Foster’s work proves just how incorrect those preconceptions are. Bring your friend, lover, or maybe even a total stranger, grab your silk pajamas, and settle in for a night of laughs at Lakefront. 

Lakefront runs in Port Dover until September 7 and in Port Colborne from September 11-22. Tickets are available here.

Intermission reviews are independent and unrelated to Intermission’s partnered content. Learn more about Intermission’s partnership model here.

WRITTEN BY

Janine Marley

Janine Marley is an independent theatre reviewer born in Kingsville, Ontario and has been a Torontonian since November 2020. She holds Honours BA and MA Degrees from the University of Windsor in English Language and Literature with her studies primarily focused on theatre. She began acting at a young age and continued acting in productions until 2018. She started her blog, A View from the Box, as a personal project to share her passion for theatre.

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