NEVERMORE Review
The StarPhoenix

NEVERMORE THE MUST SEE PLAY OF THE SEASON

By Stephanie McKay
October 24, 2011

It's ghastly, grim and grotesque and perhaps the most brilliant production the Persephone Theatre stage has seen in some time. Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe has everything one could ask for in a night of professional theatre, plus a few eerie extras.

Nevermore - a creation of Edmonton's Catalyst Theatre, the same great minds behind 2009's production of Frankenstein - tells the true (and truly tragic) story of Edgar Allan Poe through a dreamlike, musical lens.

Everything in the play - from the skeleton-like whalebone petticoats to the creepy, music-box score - fits the world of Poe perfectly.

Of course, Tim Burton would absolutely love this play (it is impossible not to notice the influence). It might even be a good idea for the company to pitch the production to the director should like they to see Nevermore get the film treatment.

But it is brilliant in its own unique ways as well.

The production is lyrical and weirdly beautiful. All the movements - many of them angular lunges - have a purpose; every piece of dialogue sounds like a song. There are individual songs within the musical, but the entire piece has a rhythm, almost as if the score is one very long, very complicated tune.

Everyone in the sevenperson cast deserves equal accolades for their welloiled performance. Every step, word and note was polished like an Industrial Era machine, yet there was no absence of heart in their portrayals. Nevermore is a challenging play. Not only do the actors have to be convincing as these dark, otherworldly men and women, but they also need to sing and move incredibly well.

At the centre of it all (and the only actor to play just a single role) is Mathew Hulshof as Edgar. Hulshof 's performance is notable not only for an amazing singing voice, but also for the massive transformation his character undergoes as life becomes even more disturbed.

Shannon Blanchet, Adam Cope, Beth Graham, Carson Nattrass, Garett Ross and Vanessa Sabourin make up the rest of the cast in a variety of odd and wonderful roles. Each actor is tasked with at least four different guises, the transformations of which are made clear by production designer Bretta Gerecke's phenomenal costumes. Each actor is given some fantastic moments, yet none outshines another. Nevermore is a genuine team effort, from the stage to behind the scenes.

The staging perfectly complements the exceptional performances. The set is a simple series of sliding doors, opening at just the right moments to reveal just a character or an entire, nightmarish scene.

Creators Jonathan Christenson and Gerecke employ some very creative special effects in Nevermore as well. The actors' microphones are used in wonderfully terrifying ways and giant, strange masks only heighten that fear further.

Nevermore is perpetually shrouded by death but maintains a fanciful hope just perfect for this late October time. It is absolutely a must-see.

Nevermore runs at the Frank and Ellen Remai Arts Centre until Nov. 2.

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