BWW Reviews: TRAVESTIES is Wildly Funny

Tom Stoppard is the kind of playwright who is so clever that it almost feels like he's showing off.

Travesties is one such example of Stoppard's brilliance, as he seamlessly combines past and present, reality and fiction in an inventive and Wildean play that, believe it or not, was inspired by real events.

The play focuses on the recollections of one very real Henry Carr, who rubbed elbows with some of the greatest minds of the early 20th century while posted in Zurich for the British Consular Service in 1917.

While performing in a production of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, Carr develops a petty feud with the show's business manager, who just happens to be world-renowned author James Joyce.

Told through the lens of Carr's fictional and often confused memoirs, Stoppard combines history, literature and his own comedic touch to great success.

The Segal Centre's production, directed by local film director Jacob Tierney, is visually appealing and stylishly funny.

Jon Lachlan Stewart, a relative newcomer to the Montreal theatre scene, does a terrific job in the role of Irish literary giant Joyce. His performance is precise in its affectionate presentation of Joyce-a boyish genius in the process of writing Ulysses who can't be bothered to pair the matching suit jacket with its appropriate pants.

Martin Sims also does credit to his slightly less iconic but equally hilarious character, Romanian-born artist and Dadaist Tristan Tzara. Sims is irrepressibly energetic and employs a good deal of physical comedy as he waxes and wanes philosophic about the counter-culture and evolving nature of Dadaism.

Greg Ellwand plays the lead role of Carr who transitions skillfully through his storytelling from decrepit old man to invigorated youth and romantic interest.

In his confusion, Carr intermingles the story of his encounters with Joyce, Tzara and the Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, with the plot of The Importance of Being Earnest. This is especially reflected in the figures of Cecily and Gwendolen, who follow the plot trajectories and dialogues of their namesakes almost to the letter.

The production design made excellent use of levels and platforms for what otherwise could have been a very static set. The use of large sliding bookcases helped alter the space from library to office and back with elegant simplicity.

Similarly, the costumes were well made and period appropriate without being overzealous. In all, the Segal Centre's production benefits from its naturalistic and unencumbered approach to a comedy that needs little in the way of elaborate tricks and trappings to be considered first-rate.

Travesties runs at the Segal Centre until May 3, 2015. Tickets are priced at $24 for students, $35 for those under 30, and $52 regular.

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