Photo Flash: First Look at THE LOVE LIST at King's Wharf Theatre

Audiences can't resist Norm Foster's tantalizing comedy, The Love List on stage now through August 3rd at the King's Wharf Theatre. This "top ten" tale is set in the world of contemporary dating and cautions theatregoers to be careful what they wish for when dreaming up the qualities they desire in the perfect mate. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Bill, a mild-mannered statistician who has been divorced and dateless for seven years, is celebrating his 50th birthday. To mark the occasion, his best friend Leon, a long-married writer and long-time philanderer, has decided to help Bill find his perfect match by signing him up for a "dating service." The first step in the process is to devise a list, in order of importance, of Bill's must-have attributes for his ideal woman.

There is great humour mined in their witty banter, as Bill and Leon have completely different opinions as to the qualities which should make the list. Things get really interesting when not long after, to Bill's amazement and delight, a fantasy woman suddenly turns up.

Justine appears to perfectly match every characteristic on the list, and Bill can't believe his good fortune. But when fantasy starts to become reality, Bill soon finds out that perfection can be hard to deal with. As Bill and Leon change their minds and make one adjustment after another to The Love List, Justine's personality swings from one extreme to the next, to hilarious effect.

"With sparkling dialogue, witty banter and non-stop laughs, The Love List is one of Norm Foster's comic gems," says Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment. "Audiences will be thoroughly entertained by this sharp comedy that pokes fun at our notions of relationships, perfection and the ideal mate."

Chris McHarge directs a brilliant cast through the hilarious evolution of The Love List. McHarge is the ideal director for this production, having been at the helm of eleven world premieres of Norm Foster's plays and musicals.

David Ludwig is terrific as the love-challenged Bill. Ludwig delivers an outstanding comic performance as the buttoned-up civil servant, whose life is full of graphs and statistics and whose idealistic views of love are turned upside down. Ludwig easily infuses his character with a nerdy charm that immediately endears him to the audience while contributing to the amusing interplay with impeccable comic timing and spontaneity.

Neil Foster gives a memorable performance as the wisecracking Leon, the well-meaning friend who advises Bill to steer away from attributes like "sense of humour" and "kindness" to the qualities he considers most desirable like "large breasts."

Heather Hodgson shines in her role as Justine, the most imperfect "perfect woman." Hodgson effortlessly moves through the fast-paced emotional changes of her unpredictable character with great timing, leaving the audience in stitches.

Set Designer Stephen Degenstein has created a modern urban apartment interior of wood and exposed brick that, thoroughly cluttered with Bill's expansive newspaper collection, sheds a light on Bill's idiosyncratic personality.

The overall tone of the production is further enhanced by the work of Lighting Designer Lyle Franklin. Costume Designer Jessica Bray has created appropriate outfits that cleverly capture the personality of each character.

The Love List was written by acclaimed Canadian playwright Norm Foster, whose works are some of the most produced throughout the country. Known for his wit and insight into the human condition, Foster has penned nearly fifty plays in a career that spans three decades.

The Love List is on stage only until August 3rd. Tickets can be purchased online at www.kingswharftheatre.com, in person at the King's Wharf Theatre Box Office, or by calling (705) 549-5555 or toll free 1-855- DRAYTON (372-9866).

Photo Credit: John Sharp

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