Review: Grimly Handsome
Grimly Handsome
Theatre Animal
Written by Julia Jarcho. Directed by Jay Turvey. At the Assembly Theatre. Runs until November 19.
Grimly Handsome is a triptych thriller exploring the darker side of human and even animal behaviour. But, despite its subject matter, the play is only mildly provocative.
Playwright Julia Jarcho has created a dark world filled with brooding men, a serial killer, corpse-eating animals, and even a dash of adultery. In her program note, she says her inspiration came from how we should all allow ourselves to experience the strangeness around us, to not smooth over the “incommensurabilities and bizarries that assail [us] every day.” It’s always dangerous when a playwright speaks for an audience as a way to explain their work. Surely the play should do that itself.
The accomplished actors—Julia Course, Jeff Irving, and Ben Sanders—play multiple parts each, and all performances are clear, distinct, and help establish the murky world Jarcho has written. Director Jay Turvey is fastidious in focusing each scene as economically as possible in such a small-playing space, crammed with cut-down Christmas trees, tree stumps, and furniture representing a small apartment. Mikael Kangas’ dim lighting also adds to the foreboding atmosphere. Together, the cast and creative team bring out the ominous tone of the piece.
The cast does a good job at portraying characters who appear innocent and charming but who conceal a more sinister reality. That said, I can’t help thinking that Jarcho tries too hard to be provocative. The revelation of the story’s details seem laboured and obvious, resulting in a play that falls very short of the playwright’s intentions.
For tickets or more information, click here.
To read fun facts about the cast—and their animal alter ego!—click here.
Lynn Slotkin
Lynn is the former theatre critic for Intermission, and currently writes reviews on her blog The Slotkin Letter. She also does theatre reviews, interviews, and commentary for CIUT Friday Morning (89.5 FM). She was a theatre reviewer for CBC's Here and Now for ten years. On average, she sees 280 shows a year.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: L to R, top to bottom: 'The 39 Steps' (photo by Raph Nogal), 'Benevolence' (photo by Jae Yang), 'The Born-Again Crow' (photo by Jeremy Mimnagh), 'Dimanche' (photo by Thomas Müller), 'Last Landscape' (photo by Fran Chudnoff), 'The Merchant of Venice' (photo by Kyle Purcell), 'Slave Play' (photo by Dahlia Katz), 'Waiting for Godot' (photo by Elana Emer), 'The Welkin' (photo by Dahlia Katz).
Twelve indelible moments of performance from 2025
With the lights fading on another year of fleeting thrills in dark rooms, we asked 12 Ontario performing arts writers to reflect on a moment that stayed with them. The results mainly stem from Toronto theatre productions, but there are a few surprises weaved in.
iPhoto caption: Connor Mitton and members of the company of 'Sex Dalmatian’s Hot Holiday Spectacular.' Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh.
REVIEW: Sex Dalmatian’s Hot Holiday Spectacular is a peppermint-coated acid trip
Rock Bottom Movement’s surrealist mandate is on full display in this 15-dancer fantasia, which begins with an invitation to let go: “The only thing you need to know is not to know anything at all,” pronounces the Mayor of Sex Dalmatian, the evening’s narrator and the mayor of the titular canine’s mind.
iPhoto caption: Vanessa Sears as Juliet, Julia McLellan as Anne, Matt Raffy as May, and Sarah Nairne as Angelique in '& Juliet.' Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Mirvish’s & Juliet sparkles on the surface despite narrative stumbles
The technical elements of & Juliet are rightfully excessive, fabulous, and gauche, solidifying the camp grounding upon which I came to appreciate the show as a whole.
iPhoto caption: Members of the company of 'Ruby and the Reindeer.' Photo by Ann Baggley.
REVIEW: Ruby and the Reindeer conjures a very Ontario Christmas at Stratford’s Here For Now Theatre
A festive addition to Mark Crawford’s catalogue of Canadian comedies, Ruby and the Reindeer isn’t shy about its local roots.
iPhoto caption: Ben Porter in 'The Woman in Black.' Photo courtesy of Mirvish.
REVIEW: Mirvish’s The Woman in Black conjures chills in the shadows
If you’re willing to suspend your disbelief and let your imagination run loose, The Woman in Black will reward you with a genuine jolt or two.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Lin Yu Huan.
REVIEW: The Storyville Mosquito buzzes brilliantly at NAC English Theatre
Although The Storyville Mosquito is about being happy with what you’ve got, I left the theatre itching to see it again.
iPhoto caption: Marcel Stewart, Dan Mousseau, Christef Desir, Alex Bulmer, Shakura Dickson in The Story. Photo by Neil Silcox
It was frigid the night I saw the production, and when you are freezing and can’t feel your fingers or toes, time-wasting shenanigans wear thin.
iPhoto caption: Lena Maripuu, Graham Conway, and Peter Pan ensemble. Photo by Nicholas Porteous
Joy to the world—the most inventive, lively, whimsical production of Peter Pan has arrived for the holidays!
iPhoto caption: Robyn Stevan in The Mess. Photo by Dahlia Katz
Co-creators Mikaela Davies and Polly Phokeev have devised a short, complex, layered story of how the mess a person creates can affect those around them.
iPhoto caption: Company in the Grand Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol. Photo by Claus Andersen
Reviews: A Christmas Carol (x2)
Reviews of two productions of A Christmas Carol—Ross Petty Productions and the Grand Theatre, in London, Ont.—that couldn’t be more different.
iPhoto caption: David Schurmann and Carly Street in Heisenberg. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann
Of the three productions I’ve seen of Heisenberg—on Broadway in New York, the West End in London, and here in Toronto—this one is the best.
Comments