The room home/return, The play, presented on Wednesday at the Théâtre La Bordée, stood out for its effectiveness in treating psychological problems in a small, quiet family.
Mary-Lee Picknell did as good a job as a writer as well as an actress in this play directed by Maryse Lapierre.
The work tells the story of Christophe, a lost and fearful young man who felt more comfortable inventing a life for himself than trying to solve the problems that had long dragged on with his family.
“When you're locked in your basement, it's difficult to make informed decisions,” Christophe tells his family in the middle of a panic attack.
However, Christophe's family is the archetype of a beautiful, quiet little family; Parents who own a supermarket and two brothers who go about their daily lives without attracting too much attention.
Hats off to Olivier Barrette
The actor shone in the lead role. You could almost see his character's discontent through the pores of his skin.
Both through his lyrics, which he delivers anxiously, hastily and restlessly, as well as through his fleeting glances and his hunched posture, Olivier Barrette wonderfully embodies a young man who is depressed and doesn't really know it.
The humor he brought made the character of Christophe even more endearing.
Sensational Mary Lee Picknell
The author of the play played Christophe's “wife”, who has to spend much more time with his family than she expected.
With his sense of humor and tireless wit, Picknell really managed to bring out the spontaneous side of his character.
Olivier Barrette and Mary-Lee Picknell are a great team on stage. Photo provided by Vincent Champoux
His fiery character also complemented the personality of the main character overwhelmed by hesitation very well. The chemistry between the two actors was palpable on stage; Some of the highlights of this piece occurred when they were the only ones throwing the lines at each other.
Family, family
The roles of Christophe's parents were played by Lise Castonguay and Denis Marchand and they did not disappoint.
The simple-mindedness that both characters exuded was almost annoying, especially when family problems were brought up loudly.
They brilliantly portrayed a couple of parents who stubbornly maintain the illusion that everything is fine because it is easier and more flattering to the ego that way, when in reality the situation is about to explode.
Vincent Roy and Gabriel Fournier were responsible for portraying Christophe's brothers. In their role as eternal outsiders within the family, both actors delivered their lines with cynical humor.
The play would not have been complete without this duo, who added more realism to the family dynamic while making the audience laugh.
►Home/return is presented at the Théâtre La Bordée until February 10th.