A scenic drive to the Drayton Festival Theatre, past beautiful farmlands and grassy pasture, helps to set the scene for Harvest.
Perhaps some audience members live on such farms and could be a part of the story. In fact two such people were in the audience opening night – the retired farm couple whose life playwright and son Ken Cameron based the play on. The Canadian comedy is entirely relatable and likeable though heaven forbid it would happen to you. Harvest has reaped fruit from misfortune and lots of laughter from tears.
Based on true events, independent farmers “Allan” and “Charlotte” sell their farm, but are not ready to give up the house where Allan was born. They purchase a condo in the city and rent the house to a cool young pilot who seems to fancy fresh air and commuting. He is especially interested in the basement and they think he must be a creative sort with a hobby or two to indulge.
The set is a monotone of woodsy beige, encouraging full focus on the actors, a two person band who play all of the characters. Full concentration is required and it takes the audience awhile to acclimatize.
Centre stage for most of the play, Gabrielle Jones and Rob McClure are sensational in their many roles. As Allan and Charlotte they exude a “salt of the Earth” farm couple, direct and innocent in their ways. From there they transform on a dime into the pilot, the Hungarian neighbour, the insurance broker and the police officer, even switching back and forth. A flourish of a scarf and the real estate agent materializes, a donning of sunglasses and Ron the pilot is apparent. Rob McClure plays four church ladies with manners as distinctive as the Sunday best hats that he tips or twitches to portray each in turn. Spontaneous applause was well earned in this and other segments of the show.
Local references in the script drive home the empathy; events in Seaforth, Tiverton and Chesley are mentioned along with some common knowledge: “you can’t mix a John Deere tractor with a Massey Ferguson plough.”
The Camerons are actually from Elgin County and their plight allows a glimpse into today’s challenges of life on a farm. The show also offers an education on the prevalence of illicit uses of under-used farms, citing Nelson, BC as a prime example.
When Allan and Charlotte return to pick raspberries across the road and sneak a peek at their house, they smell both trouble and a musty odour. It appears that the crops being grown on their farm are not corn or soybean. They are not meant to be eaten by man nor beast, only inhaled.
Gabrielle Jones’ wonderful pragmatic appeal garners empathy when the role requires, while she is barely recognizable as other intriguing characters. She is spot on with her comedic timing and morphs into the other roles seamlessly. She is always memorable in many Drayton Entertainment roles such as the beleaguered wife in Sexy Laundry. She has also played several seasons at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals.
Rob McClure has appeared in many roles for Drayton Entertainment as well, including The Odd Couple, Deathtrap and It Runs in the Family. Other theatres in his repertoire across the country include the Stratford Festival and Second City. His great, versatile talent makes the role switches look so easy, yet it is almost dizzying just to watch at times.
Directed by Marti Maraden, one can only imagine the expertise and intense rehearsing a production of this calibre would require. Maraden has directed many shows for Drayton Entertainment such as, Deathtrap and Tuesdays with Morrie. She is also an actor.
Harvest was commissioned by Lunchbox Theatre in Calgary in 2006 and premiered in Blyth Festival in 2008. Since then Harvest has been much produced across Canada and beyond.
Harvest is a very different production that relies on talented actors and a triumphant story of strength in rural foundation.
Harvest runs until July 30. Tickets can be purchased at Drayton Festival Theatre, online at www.draytonentertainment.com or by calling 519-638-5555 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
