The Interview Play

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King

Show – The Interview Play

Playwright/s/ - Eve Beauchamp

Production Company/Theatre space – (Community) Levity Theatre, Calgary Fringe Festival ‘25 Festival Hall.

Length – 1 ACT (50 minutes)

Genre– Dramady with a song.

Premise – After interviewing a young law school dropout/composer musician/rock tumbler for a corporate job, a woman re-thinks her parenting style in a phone message to her son.

Why this play? Why now? – A two hander with an original script is just the type of theatre that the Fringe programs to give emerging artists a chance to experiment with new work and take risks.

Curiosities – I wondered if this was new trend describing the set, props, and costumes in the preshow announcement presumably for sight impaired audience members. This only took a few minutes and was very thorough. I wondered how long it would take to set up more complex productions. Is it "The worst interview ever"?

Notable Moment – The interviewees attempt at trying to connect by showing his rock collection.

Notable writing – This story is from the POV of the interviewer, but the interviewee is the best role. We get to hear the private notes she writes during the conversation as voice over. Some of these are amusing but the convention wears a little thin. We actually start rooting for the interviewee although it is clear he doesn’t really want this job and is not really suited for it. Then we move from the corporation to the woman at home where she is challenged by an opinionated teenager. We then go to a music festival/bar and see the interviewee play his original music. Beauchamp has an ear for dialogue but not plotting.  

Notable performances – Ian Reip makes this show worth watching. Granted his role is more dynamic. He is able to handle a script that swings from sitcom to singing a heartfelt solo with guitar and back to drama. Gabrielle vos de Wael as the antihero maintains the disparaging even tempered energy of an unfulfilled woman who has a minor epiphany.

Notable design/Production – The set is simple as Fringe shows, many of whom tour, should be.

Notable direction – This piece was directed by Marianne Nobre who I’m betting directs standing in front of the stage centre. Had she watched from the far left or far right she would have realized that the elevated speakers obscure the sightlines. I probably saw 25% less play than some, but the pacing was good.

One reason to see this show – For those dealing with intergenerational issues this is good fodder for post-show coffee chats.