Photo above: Rose (Abby Frey), Big Man (Antonio Parra), Hicklin Studio Theatre, U. of Wisconsin – Whitewater. Dir & Photographer: Bruce Cohen.
Synopsis
It’s 1924. Rose disappears from a train wreck without a trace. Twenty-five years later, her red suitcase arrives anonymously and mysteriously, triggering her daughter’s search for the truth and unlocking a bizarre chain of events. A haunted railway detective, gourmet gangster-chefs, a Puccini-singing ghost, and a host of Dickensian characters populate Vancouver’s underbelly. Wreckage is a stylish ‘gangster’ play with a dark and wicked sense of humour and the theatrical punch of a speeding train.
Premiere
Wreckage, directed by Gail Hanrahan, premiered at New West Theatre, under the Artistic Directorship of Brian Parkinson, in Lethbridge, AB, on October 13, 2005. Wreckage received dramaturgy from Hrant Alianak and developmental support from Martin Kinch, then head of Vancouver’s Playwrights Theatre Centre.
Reviews
‘This isn’t your grandmother’s theatre… this is a play that is rewriting the rules of student theatre and inviting a younger audience to experience the thrill of the stage. ’
Will Johnson, Martlet, March 2010
‘A thrilling read… The scope of this work is intoxicating, the story audacious, wonderfully layered and compelling, and the characterizations meaty and surprising. It’s a lustily stylish, hard-boiled genre picture projected on stage.’
Colin Taylor, juror, 2005 Herman Voaden National Playwriting Competition
‘… All is not what it appears to be in Wreckage. … A tragic train ride, yes, but once you’re on board you’ll want to hang on until the bitter end.’
Mike Youds, Daily News, Kamloops
‘This intriguing play (Wreckage) holds our interest throughout… clever, humourous script.’
review Vancouver
‘… loved the convoluted unfolding of the plot, the feel of interwoven animated cinematic snapshots and sustained tension. It’s a really interesting piece of new Canadian theatre…’
Gillian Lockitch, immediatetheatre.com
‘The imagination, stylishness and audacity of the staging requirements contribute to making Wreckage one of the top five plays in the Voaden Competition. … There is so much rich and stylish merit to Wreckage…’
Roy Surette, 2005 Herman Voaden National Playwriting Competition.
