By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
Theatre goers in Lion’s Head describe Falling: A Wake by Canadian playwright Gary Kirkham as “emotional and moving”, “evokes a feeling that one can survive anything”, “a key to surviving loss”, “so close to the truth that it is funny” and “wonderfully acted, wonderfully written.”
This debut performance at the Rotary Hall was the first of four performances in Lion’s Head from 21 to 24 July 2022. The production was presented by Northern Bruce Theatre and the Inspired Acting Lab at the University of Windsor.
The play is described by Director Lionel Walsh as “a comedy with a serious note – a loss of a child”. It tells the story of a middle-aged couple, Elsie and Harold in a rural town in Ontario coming to terms with the loss of their child and how to find joy in continuing on.
The play was written by Kirkham as a way to honour his childhood friend Paul Freeman who died when the plane he was on exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland in December 1988. Kirkham says writing the play was a way for him to deal with the loss and to grieve.
The production will have two more stops this summer, in Colchester and Kirkland Lake. Actor Jackson Balint says “the goal is to bring more theatre to rural areas.”
The Theatre Company hopes to return to the Northern Bruce Peninsula in future summers.
