Two actors, one set, four characters and less than an hour.
It sounds like a plain recipe for a play, and an unconventional combination in some ways, but the Williams Lake Studio Theatre Society and playwright Caryl Churchill have managed to combine those ingredients to make something delicious.
A Number is a captivating exploration of identity, what makes us who we are, connections and perhaps our somewhat blind faith in technology to fix our problems instead of changing our own behaviour or facing our mistakes. Matt Tyne does an incredible job with his first two characters, making them as distinct as salt and pepper.
While his third character is distinct again, there isn’t as much time to see him develop in the short finale, but the scene does not fall short of satisfying the audience, thanks to his co-star Chris Armstrong as his father - thrice over.
While it might mean more if you lived through the nineties and recall the global fascination with Dolly the sheep and cloning, the more recent news story of the woman who paid a small fortune to clone her cat has made a timely dish of A Number, once again.
Tension, drama and laughter make the play a night out more than worth the price of admission and now that the theatre can be a proper event, it will be a fun end to the society’s 66th season.
The play opens at the WL Studio Theatre on April 13 and runs nightly April 13-16, April 20-23 at 8 p.m. and there will be a 1 p.m. matinee on April 16. Tickets are available online at boxoffice.wlstudiotheatre.ca for $20, April 13 is a “cheap night” and tickets are $15.
Read more: Williams Lake Studio Theatre Society wraps season, spotlights next
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ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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