REVIEW: Shakespeare in the Ruff’s Tiff’ny of Athens throws a delightful party in Withrow Park
iPhoto caption: Photo by Mike McPhaden.
If outdoor theatre be the food of love, play on. Yes, that’s a reference to Twelfth Night and not Tiff’ny of Athens’ source material, Timon of Athens. No, it doesn’t matter here.
In Shakespeare in the Ruff’s Tiff’ny of Athens, playwrights Nathaniel Hanula-James and Christine Horne adapt Shakespeare and Thomas Middleton’s tragedy into a comedic critique of extractivism and transactional friendships. They infuse the text with lines from an eclectic mix of sources: other Shakespeare plays, Dolly Parton songs, and automated messages from government service helplines, to name a few. Somehow, it all comes together as a tale about the value of community-building.
Timon of Athens is a cynical play about a rich guy who goes broke and gets abandoned by his so-called friends. He runs off into the forest, finds some gold, and uses it to seek revenge. In the end, he dies alone. Tiff’ny of Athens imagines a new twist that turns tragedy to togetherness.
Tiff’ny (Horne) is a wealthy socialite and patron of the arts. Her close friendships with a painter (Lucy Hill) and poet (Warona Setshwaelo) are built on Tiff’ny’s extravagant gift-giving. It all seems glorious until Tiff’ny’s adviser, Flavius (Ben Yoganathan), breaks the news of her overwhelming debt. The actors, save for Horne, play a variety of other characters to narrate and fill in the tale.
The quartet performs together with ease and confidence. Setshwaelo stood out for me, particularly as anti-establishment podcaster Apemantus, who dishes out funny self-referential quips that poke playful fun at struggling independent artists. On the night I attended, the cast seemed to make a few small line flubs, but always persevered without dropping the energy.
Ruff’s use of Withrow Park as a performance space feels collaborative rather than imposing. Two towering, nearly symmetrical trees frame the playing space, which sits at the bottom of a slight hill. The setting sun acts as a natural lighting designer, dimming gradually throughout the 75-minute show. The actual lighting designers, Theo Belc and director Patricia Allison, use a few fixtures on the ground to wash the tree trunks with bright colours and softly illuminate the actors’ faces.
To represent the power shifts between characters, Allison makes smart use of distance and levels. A standout scene is when Tiff’ny is driven to madness (classic Shakespeare), grovelling in dirt while cursing all of Athens. It’s a stark difference from Horne’s previously confident and laid-back physicality as Tiff’ny pre-breakdown. When Apemantus arrives to reach out a helping hand, the two sit side by side at the same level, finally seeing eye to eye.
I admire how the company embraces the unpredictability of performing in a public space rather than attempting to control it. Though the actors squarely held my attention, I did enjoy quick glimpses of dogs and intrigued pedestrians in the background. It only makes sense that a show about the importance of community-building includes the actual community surrounding it.
The delightful absurdity of the show, as evident in a scene where Tiff’ny throws a toddler’s-birthday-party-themed party, is reminiscent of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet (1996). But while Luhrmann retained Shakespeare’s main plot points, Hanula-James and Horne alter Timon of Athens’ narrative arc to be more optimistic. They maintain the relevant themes of greed and corruption while refusing to let them steer the story. It’s a refreshing reimagining that isn’t overly concerned with preserving the sanctity of the source material.
Tiff’ny of Athens demonstrates that a production doesn’t have to take itself too seriously while still sending a strong political message. The adaptation conveys the plight of independent artists in a capitalist society and the power of community-building as an act of resistance, all while blowing bubbles and dancing to ABBA.
Right from the welcome tent, it’s evident that accessibility is a high priority for Shakespeare in the Ruff. As in past years, admission to the show is pay-what-you-can, allowing anyone to enjoy the spectacle. The company offers captions, touch tours, street-to-seat guides, and permission to enter and exit the audience as needed. The actors kick off the production with self-introductions, followed by some pre-show announcements presented as rhyming couplets. The front of house team and cast work together to create an atmosphere that is inviting and casual.
You can see Shakespeare in the Ruff’s witty and whimsical Tiff’ny of Athens for free, but if you’re able to spare a dime for the thoughtful troupe, it’ll help support a company that practices the community-building they preach.
Tiff’ny of Athens runs until August 31 in Withrow Park. More information is available here.
Disclaimer: Tiff’ny of Athens co-playwright Nathaniel Hanula-James is an Intermission staff writer.
Intermission reviews are independent and unrelated to Intermission’s partnered content. Learn more about Intermission’s partnership model here.
Gus Lederman
Gus Lederman (they/he) is a writer and performer in Tkaronto. Currently, they’re in their last semester of OCAD University’s Creative Writing program, where they were Editor-in-Chief of the first edition of the student literary journal, Pulse. Gus participated in the 2024 New Young Reviewers Program with Toronto Fringe, and has since written for Canopy Magazine. They enjoy composing original music, writing plays, and are passionate about climate justice, trans-ness, and puppetry.
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