Sex, drugs and new age collide in a fun, harsh and wacky existentialist fireworks display, if a bit lengthy unbearably long hugs, in the Prospero Theater.
This text, presented for the first time in Quebec, is the result of the rich imagination of Ivan Viripaev, a Russian playwright who has shined all over the world but, because of Kremlin totalitarianism, cut ties with his homeland to become a Polish citizen become .
In this production, actress Christine Beaulieu reunites with director Philippe Cyr, with whom she previously worked on the hit play J’aime Hydro. She doesn’t disappoint her admirers in the role of a thirty-year-old who decides to leave everything after feeling a great emptiness after an abortion. Despite all of his problems, his character seems like the least lost of the four who will do whatever it takes to fill that void within themselves.
Joanie Guérin is juicy in the guise of this Amy ready to surrender to the first comer, while Simon Lacroix is hilarious in the skin of a Czech who arrives in New York and is about to have a colorful experience. Marc Beaupré completes this superb cast beautifully, playing a man who only thinks about getting high without thinking about the hangover the next day.
On two continents
This story of two men and two women who lose their bearings begins in New York and is transferred to Berlin. Black humour, self-destruction and violence meet enjoyment, esotericism and the desire to be loved in a kind of baroque portrait of our time. These contrasts form a surprising whole in an easily comprehensible framework and a successful minimalist staging.
After beginnings that make you laugh, the piece gets harder as it progresses. Unfortunately, the story gets bogged down towards the end and we want it all to end sooner. For those looking for a sharp and sassy theme, this show, borne by talented actors, boldly showcases our modernity.
♦ Unbearably long hugs will be presented at the Prospero until April 22nd.
Unbearably long hugs ★★★1⁄2
- Directed by Philippe Cyr
- With Christine Beaulieu, Marc Beaupré, Joanie Guérin and Simon Lacroix.