David French

I was happy to see that Cobourg’s excellent Northumberland Players are currently presenting Salt-Water Moon. The show runs from March 17–April 2, 2023, at the Firehall Theatre, 213 Second Street. You can find a great review from Rob Davidson and a sneak peek at the show on the Northumberland Players website!

The production of Salt-Water Moon at the Finborough Theatre in London, England has now closed, but I thought I’d share excerpts from some of the reviews:

“Equal parts romantic and heartbreaking, David French’s play remains as timeless as ever.” —The Independent

“Youthful stars shine in Canadian two-hander.” —London Times

“An absorbing, lyrical love story.” —The Stage

“Salt-Water Moon does feel like a precious jewel, carried across the Atlantic, finally discovered.” —Theatre Weekly

“An interesting piece of theatre that explores – quite pertinently at a time of economic uncertainty – what lengths people are prepared to go to out of financial necessity, and whether the power of love can override pragmatism. Yes, it’s a love story at the theatre, so the answer is pretty obvious in the end, but this intriguing journey is worth it. A thoughtful and charming production.” —London Theatre 1

“Simple and understated, the end result is a beautifully romantic piece of theatre that effortlessly manages to provide escapism and demonstrate love on that stage, not just between the pair but what the power of theatre can do.” — All That Dazzles

“A piece of writing that explores the nature of love, betrayal, patriotism, loss, forgiveness and loyalty. It revisits a bygone age and harks back to a former and sometimes forgotten spirit of theatre; quietly asserting its relevance. A slow burner, but one that burns bright.”—Spy in the Stalls

“A beautiful study of young love as a way of breaking free from the past.” —Morning Star

“It is the confidence in French’s writing that stands out. Many a historical drama could benefit from such a sure hand – one that doesn’t feel the need for extraneous detail. Likewise, the sense of a real community – still dealing with the aftermath of World War I and full of inequality – shows us the lived experience of its characters with no sniff of a history lesson. This is impressive writing: Salt-Water Moon is a quality show through and through with a strong script skillfully produced.” — Theatre Reviews by Edward Lukes

Yesterday Lionel Walsh, the director of the Inspired Acting Lab production of Salt-Water Moon, posted this story on Facebook: “Last night we lost power during the final performance of Salt-Water Moon. James, who plays Jacob, paused and asked the audience to get out their phones, turn on the flashlight and point it towards them. They played the rest of the show by cell phone light. It was beautiful and the audience jumped to their feet at curtain call. Thank you Lion’s Head for a fabulous run and great audiences. On to three days in Kirkland Lake.”

Quick thinking by actor James Kern, and generosity from the audience members who took up the challenge of becoming instant lighting designers!

Live theatre creates so many opportunities for communion. In this age of Netflix, where it’s very easy to stay home in our own individual pods glued to a screen, live theatre offers real connection to one another, and to art. And don’t we always remember the shows where something went not-quite-according-to-plan?

I think of our friend Hrant’s story about the styrofoam set falling slowly into the audience during a performance of one of his plays at Passe Muraille. Or the time an actor dislocated his shoulder during our production of Paper Wheat and the local doctor happened to be in the audience, ran backstage, and fixed it in time for Pete to get back onstage for his next entrance. One of the reasons that it’s fun to go for post-show drinks with actors is that they have so many stories about these moments where the unexpected makes its entrance into the scripted! In Shakespeare in Love, one of Stoppard’s characters has a line that runs something like, “Theatre is a series of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.”

How wonderful when the obstacle becomes a magical moment like the one that happened on the weekend in Lion’s Head!

Two exciting productions of Salt-Water Moon are happening this summer!

The first is a touring show produced by the University of Windsor’s Inspired Acting Lab. It stars James Kern as Jacob and Sofie Jarvis as Mary, and is directed by the inimitable Lionel Walsh. The show opened in Windsor last night, and will go on to tour in Lion’s Head and Kirkland Lake later this summer. Lionel has produced several of David’s plays over the years, and he brought David to the U of Windsor in 2002-2003 as writer-in-residence where they became fast friends. Lionel is a brilliant director and has a deep connection to David’s work, so I’m sure that this show is amazing. Here is the scoop on dates, locations, and tickets:

WINDSOR : July 11, 12, 13 @ 7:30 p.m.
Studio Theatre, Jackman Dramatic Art Centre, University of Windsor

LION’S HEAD : July 18-20 @ 7:30 p.m. and 21 @ 2 p.m. and 25-27 @ 7:30 p.m.
Rotary Hall, 59 Main St., Lion’s Head, ON. (Cash Bar)

KIRKLAND LAKE : July 31 –August 3 @ 7:30 p.m
LaSalle Theatre, 100 Government Rd W, Kirkland Lake, ON

Ticket Prices : For Windsor and Lion’s Head, tickets are $20 adult; $15 senior/student
For Kirkland Lake, $15 adult, $10 student/senior, $5 children 10 and under

The second production is special because it’s happening on PEI, where David spent nearly 40 summers. Mary and I have a great love for the Island, too, and we were happy to learn that The Guild in Charlottetown is presenting Salt-Water Moon every Sunday in August. This production stars Justin Shaw as Jacob and Helen Killorn as Mary.

Here’s a link for more information, and to buy tickets.