April 9th 2015, 8:00pm
April 10th 2015, 8:00pm
April 11th 2015, 8:00pm
April 12th 2015, 2:00pm
April 17th 2015, 8:00pm
April 18th 2015, 8:00pm
April 19th 2015, 2:00pm
This drama was written by Jim Nolan and is directed by Patricia Parry
The Salvage Shop is everything great Irish drama should be.
Rich language, strong characters, great story telling — these are the rare commodities that make Irish plays so popular with theatre lovers. Jim Nolan’s The Salvage Shop is a sterling example of the genre, serving up equal measures of humour and emotion in a good old-fashioned Irish family drama.
The story takes place in a cluttered repair shop where Sylvester “Sylvie” Tansey mends broken furniture and other items in need of restoration. Running the salvage shop is Sylvie’s job, but being the bandmaster of the Garristown Brass Band is his passion. For years, he has been grooming his son Eddie to take over the coveted position of bandmaster when he retires. Alas, like many of the damaged objects in his shop, Sylvie’s relationship with his son has fallen into disrepair. A deep rift has developed between them, a result of Eddie having abandoned his father just before an all-important national music contest, years before. Sylvie, now leaning on alcohol for comfort, is facing the prospect of an uprising by the other band members, who want to appoint a new bandmaster. But the band is Sylvie’s life; relinquishing the band leader’s baton would crush him, and besides, he still clings to the hope that Eddie will one day take over from him and win the annual band competition.
Ultimately, this is a story about reconciliation, and the redemptive power of mutual understanding and forgiveness. Along the way, audiences travel an emotional road paved with deep sadness, joy, triumph, and humour. There is, of course, also great music — classic brass band numbers, the strains of Sylvie Tansey’s hero, Luciano Pavarotti, and even a live-on-stage flugelhorn solo by musician Mark Bailey.
Director Patricia Parry has assembled a fine cast of actors to take on a variety of compelling character roles, including David Parry as Sylvie Tansey; Grey Masson as his son, Eddie; Joanna McAuley Treffers as Rita Shanahan; Mark Bailey as Stephen Kearney; and newcomers Martin Treffers as Josie Costello, and Phillipa McDonald as Eddie’s daughter, Katie.
Don’t miss The Salvage Shop, Irish drama at its very best. Regular tickets are $22 at The Book Nook, 60 Gore St. E. (cash only); Tickets Please, 39 Foster St. (613-485-6434; ticketsplease.ca; credit cards accepted, a convenience fee applies) and Shadowfax, 67 Foster St. (613-267-6817; shadowfax.on.ca; credit cards accepted, a convenience fee applies). Tickets are $24 at the door, and students with ID pay just $10 at the door on show nights. There is some strong language in this play that may make it unsuitable for younger audience members.
