The Drayton Festival Theatre continues its much-anticipated 25th anniversary season with a lighthearted romantic comedy about the foibles of dating and finding love the second time around.
Penned by one of Canada’s favourite playwrights, Norm Foster, the hit comedy Looking is on stage from June 10 to 27.
Responding to a personal ad in the Newspaper, Matt and Val set up a blind date. To buffer the potentially disastrous meeting, Val brings along her trusted girlfriend, Nina, and Andy brings along his best buddy, Matt.
What follows is a wildly romantic, warm, and sweet story as four lovable losers look for love in all the wrong places … only to find it and almost let it go before it’s too late.
“Looking is one of Norm Foster’s funniest comedies,” said Alex Mustakas, artistic director of Drayton Entertainment. “He has such a knack for mining laughs from such a perfectly awkward situation and mining it into a two-hour laugh-fest, with some serious self-discoveries thrown in for good measure.”
Looking is directed by Marti Maraden, who helmed Drayton Entertainment’s hit production of Tuesdays with Morrie in 2013 and last season’s production of Deathtrap. A theatre veteran with an impressive list of credits, Maraden worked at the Stratford Festival for nearly three decades where she rose from actor to co-artistic director. She is also former artistic director of the National Arts Centre English Theatre in Ottawa and has worked with many theatre companies across the country including the Shaw Festival and Canadian Stage, among others.
Maraden is joined by set designer Allan Wilbee, costume designer Sarah Plater-Findlay and lighting designer Louise Guinand.
A terrific cast has been assembled to bring the four singletons to life.
Rob McClure, whom audiences may recognize from last season’s production of Deathtrap, is Andy, the author of the personal ad. McClure has performed across Canada for over 35 years, including the Stratford Festival, The Second City and Drayton Entertainment including productions of Caught in the Net, It Runs in the Family, and How the Other Half Loves.
Neil Foster plays his brash but endearing best friend, Matt, a morning radio host. Foster’s career has covered all genres of theatre, from Shakespearean classics, to comedies and musicals. Foster entertained audiences in 2013 as Leon in Drayton Entertainment’s production of The Love List.
Making her Drayton Entertainment debut, Helen Taylor is Val, a nurse reluctant to return to dating after her divorce. Taylor has performed in theatres across Canada, including 12 seasons at the Shaw Festival and a season at the Stratford Festival.
Heather Hodgson plays Val’s best gal pal Nina, a cop who coaxes Val into answering a personal ad in the Newspaper. Hodgson is no stranger to the works of Norm Foster – in 2008 she performed in the world debut of Foster’s Mending Fences at Theatre Aquarius. She also appeared in Drayton Entertainment’s production of The Love List in 2012.
“With sparkling dialogue, witty banter and non-stop laughs, Looking is a sharp comedy that pokes fun at our notion of the perfect relationship,” says Mustakas.
Regular performance tickets are $42 for adults and $25 for youth under 20 years of age. Tickets for preview performances scheduled before the official opening and groups of 20 or more are $34. HST is applicable to all ticket prices.
Looking runs June 10 through 27.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the Drayton Festival Theatre, online at www.draytonfestivaltheatre.com or by calling the box office at 519-638-5555 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
