It’s the Bard. In Bellbottoms!
The crowd-pleasing farce of twins and mistaken identity gets the ’70s treatment in Trinity Western’s production of William Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.
Never before has this much polyester graced the stage of Freedom Hall at Trinity Western’s Langley campus. The classic story revolves around two identically named identical twins and their identically named identical twin servants. Separated as infants by a shipwreck, the brothers (both named Antipholus) and their respective servants (both named Dromio) unwittingly cross paths in Ephesus. Mistaken identity leads to identity crises as each set of twins is mistaken for the other.
Though the actors will be speaking their best Shakespeare from the stage, the action takes place in the disco era of the ’70s.
“I was looking for a period that could support the farcical elements I wanted to pull out of the play,” explains director Kerri Norris, TWU’s instructor in theatre.
“With its whole ‘Saturday Night Fever feeling,’ the disco era seemed the perfect fit.”
The cast includes Uliana Akulenko, Alexandria Bay, Amanda Haggett, Emmett Hanly, Hayley James, Keenan Marchand, Lucas Morehouse, Kate Nundal, Jane Oliphant, Cathy Shields, Steven Simpson, Connor Thiessen and Joelle Wyminga.
Stage management is by Natalie Hoogstra, Chelsea Craig and Jennifer Mamchur. Set design is by Sophie Tang, costume design is by Megan Gilron and lighting design is by Chengyan Boon.
”The Comedy of Errors is pure entertainment book-ended by a beautiful love story,” said TWU fourth-year acting student, Steven Simpson, who plays Antipholus of Syracuse, one of the twins.
“It inspires positive community — it’s the perfect play for family and friends to enjoy together.”
The Comedy of Errors runs March 13 to 24 at Freedom Hall, Robert N. Thompson Building, 7600 Glover Rd.
Call 604-513-2188 for tickets and show times or book online at twu.ca/theatre.
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