(Barbara Kobolak plays the role of Lettice Douffet in Kanata Theatre’s 56th season opening performance of Lettice & Lovage that hits the stage on September 11, 2024. Photos: Alex Henkelman)
The Kanata Theatre ensemble are pleased to welcome theatre attendees to their 56th year of exceptional talent and memorable performances with the season’s opening play – Lettice & Lovage – written by Peter Shaffer and directed by Barbara Kobolak.
Set in 1987, Lettice & Lovage has three scenes in which the play is performed – a mansion in Wiltshire, with two scenes set in London. Much research and thought went into the set when work started back in January of this year. The ingenuity of set designer Dean Flockton clearly shows what can be accomplished without taking away from the time period of the play and the stage technology available at that time. After much thought, his imagination addressed the situation – a stage that rotates like a turntable.
The play itself has its own history. Playwright Peter Shaffer was known for writing screenplays with men in the key roles such as Equus and Amadeus. Dame Maggie Smith, a British actress, approached Peter at the party one evening and asked him “when he was going to write great roles for women!”. He was intrigued by her suggestion and two years later, Lettice & Lovage was specifically written with her in mind as the lead Lettice Douffet. Opening in England in 1987, then on to Broadway in 1990, Dame Maggie Smith as the lead actress won a Tony Award for her work when the play was originally performed on Broadway.
So what can you expect from this satirical comedy? “You’re in your dream job. You love history and being an unemployed actress, you now work as a historical tour guide in an English Country House. Bored of the repetitive tours, your sense of creativity from your stage time begins to challenge you. Would a few little embellishments of the truth hurt? What happens when the boss confronts you with the ambiguities….?”
And yes, there was a live cat in the original show – but there was also a backup stuffed cat, utilized when the real cat didn’t feel like performing! So, Kanata Theatre has eliminated the real cat, and are working with the stuffed cat – and trust your imagination will fill in the gap.
From September 11th to 21st, join the Kanata Theatre cast as they perform the first play of the Kanata Theatre 2024-2025 season – Lettice & Lovage, directed by Barbara Kobolak.
The cast for the satirical comedy Lettice & Lovage are:
- Lettice Douffet – Barbara Kobolak
- Lotte Schoen – Susan Monaghan
- Miss Framer – Ann Empey
- Bardolph – Timothy Foss
- Tourists – Ann Empey, Lindsay Endicott, Joy Forbes, Nicole MacLaren, Suman Roy, Tammy Southin
Showing at Ron Maslin Playhouse, 1 Ron Maslin Way in Kanata from September 11th to 21st, with an afternoon matinée on September 15th, tickets are available to purchase online at www.kanatatheatre.ca or from the box office at 613-831-4435. A subscription offer is also available that includes tickets for five plays.
Enjoyed the play, scenery lighting plus the acting, of course,
were great!