MARCH 4, 2016
THE BREAKFAST CLUB…Yes, that Breakfast Club.
Okay, I’ve been looking forward to this production since I found out about it back in like, October. I’ve always thought that this iconic 80’s movie would make a fantastic stage play, and it turns out, I was right! This was an incredible production by d2 productions montréal. It was my first time seeing a show of theirs, and I will definitely be keeping an eye on them! This show has a home at the MainLine theatre, this literal hole in the wall, part-bar part-theatre. I absolutely adore tiny theatres like this one. Know that I will be back.
This production was directed by Dale Hayes, one half of the d’s in d2 productions, and she did an excellent job. This movie is so iconic, and it’s quite a trick to capture its essence while moving it to a stage. Very simple set with musical transitions inspired by the 80’s both set the tone of the show, and it was pulled off very well. The screenplay was kept mostly intact, with all your favourite lines included, but some new elements were added that fit right in with the original. This didn’t feel like a copy of the movie, it really does stand on its own.
The cast was INCREDIBLE. The more I dive into Montreal theatre, the more fantastic performers I get to discover. What a talented city. It was so great to see this amazing group of young actors take the stage and put their own spin on these characters. The emotional range of this show is huge, and these actors totally did it justice. I’ve always personally had a hard time relating to the character of Andrew (The Athlete), but Johan DeNora just absolutely did it for me. He had me near tears, man.
Of course, you can’t have a successful Breakfast Club without a good Bender, and Sofian Lahyanssa absolutely did the role justice. I ADORED Hannah Dorozio’s performance of Allison, and David Hudon’s Brian and Teneisha Collins’s Claire totally brought the whole thing together. As an ensemble, they were fantastic. Their energies and interactions completely immersed me in the story. And yeah, Patrizio Sanzari’s Mr. Vernon pretty much had me fuming.
All in all, I was far from disappointed, considering my high expectations. I think it would have been interesting to fit the play into a single act – the whole story feels like a single moment in time, and this change might have highlighted that feeling. There really isn’t much continuity to the story, as the characters go back and forth between being enemies and friends, so it was weird for me when intermission made a break in the show. (On the other hand, it would be so hard to cut this show down, because so much of it is THAT GOOD.) But still, as a whole, I was so impressed. Definitely glad I made the trip to catch this production.
