The Ballad of Georges Boivin is a really sweet and lovely story by Martin Bellemare (he/him), translated from French by Jack Paterson (he/him), about a man in his late 70s going on a road trip across the country to find his first girlfriend. Produced by Lunchbox Theatre, this one-man show is a touching story about love, friendship, and the fear of death.
The character of Georges is played by Duval Lang (he/him) in this production. Lang does a wonderful job of feeling like a vaguely sad old man, who seems restless and dissatisfied with his current life. Directed by Bronwyn Steinberg (she/her), the play begins with Georges telling the audience about his life, and his friends, before slowly drawing us into the story, so that the audience is no longer being told the story, but is remembering/experiencing it alongside Georges. Although it is a one man show, Lang also embodies Georges’ friends on the trip with him, the way one might mimic a friend’s voice when telling a story.
The set is formed by a desk and some vintage suitcases, which are used to stand in for a car, a dining table, and a hotel bed, among other things. There are also tree branches with what appear to be apple or cherry blossoms, and the stage itself has been painted to resemble a roadway. (Usually I would make sure to get a picture of the set, but was unable to do that for this performance.) Designed by Beth Kates (she/her), the set and props create every location Georges tells us about, demonstrating everything he needs to show the audience.
The lighting for this production was also designed by Beth Kates, and felt subtle. It served to keep the focus on Georges and his story, without pulling you out of the story at all. It also included a slide projector used in the beginning of the show, to help Georges demonstrate certain aspects of his story. The projector is also used very cleverly to represent car headlights at one point, while Georges is describing the road trip.
The sound design, done by Anton deGroot (he/him), was well done. It incorporated road noise throughout driving scenes, and as well as music cued into the scene by Georges as he related the story to the audience.
Georges costume in this show was designed by Ralamy Kneeshaw (she/her), and felt like a perfect encapsulation of his character. It was something I could absolutely imagine on any older man, and was very versatile, with Georges’ cardigan standing in for another character in his memory at one point.
The show is running now, in the Studio at Vertigo Theatre, until May 5th. Tickets can be purchased at lunchboxtheatre.com or by calling the Vertigo Theatre box office at 403-221-3708.
This is a show that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a fun or touching show. It is certainly one that I will be encouraging my friends and family, especially my grandparents , to go see.
Calgary’s Independent Critic 