“You are always a child to your parents,” director Maureen Lukie says in her director’s notes.
In Amicus Productions’ mount of David S. Craig’s Having Hope at Home, we see parents and their adult children gripped in a touching and hilarious battle of wills. Carolyn (Jenn Worsnop-Sellers) and her partner Michel (Stephan Ermel), who live on a dairy farm with Carolyn’s grandfather Russell (Kingsley Owen) are having a baby and have chosen to use a midwife, Dawn (played by our gal Tina McCulloch) for a home birth. They have invited Carolyn’s parents (James Lukie and Janice Hansen) for a nice grown-up dinner. Dad is a big time Ob Gyn and the folks haven’t been told about the midwife as they would surely disapprove. Chaos (and hilarity) ensues when Carolyn goes into labour and tries to hide it from Mom and Dad, inviting an unwitting Dawn to the dinner party (and Russell tries to pass her off as his girlfriend).
Lukie has assembled an amazing ensemble here – the entire cast was a joy – and grandad Russell was an audience favourite. The extended laughter for his carrot cutting bit forced the other actors to hold dialogue till the noise died down. And Tina was excellent as the midwife, strong, good-humoured and nurturing – and taking no guff from Carolyn’s arrogant doc Dad. And no sign of second night fatigue with this group.
Funny, thoughtful, touching – a thoroughly enjoyable evening at the Fairview Library Theatre. Totally worth the schlep to Don Mills and Sheppard!
Having Hope at Home runs until April 16 – check their website for details: http://www.amicusproductions.ca/index.php
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