Around the World in 80 Days is, as director Chris Ralph describes it, a book that everyone has heard of but no one has read. If the premise is only familiar to you in broad strokes — an Englishman wagers that he can travel the globe in eighty days or less; there is a hot air balloon at some point — the chance to acquaint yourself with the intricacies of the plot is now available at the Ottawa Little Theatre. Running from July 12-29, this show is perfect for the summer— “a Blockbuster, Indiana Jones sort of feel,” director Chris Ralph explains. The Ottawa Little Theatre is located in the heart of downtown Ottawa and, since its opening in 1913, has developed a reputation for calibre— an expectation upheld by Around the World.
While the charm of the show is due in part to the quick wit and humour of the script, the majority of the credit goes to the absolute brilliance of the cast. Comprised of six actors that play a cumulation of over fifty characters and under the skilled direction of Acting & Directing professor Chris Ralph, the cast is quick to amaze with their talent and energy.
Sean Dwyer plays the lead, Phileas Fogg, with precision and expertise, embodying the role so thoroughly that the audience immediately forgets they are watching an actor and not Phileas Fogg himself. Dwyer is accompanied by Phileas’ love interest Aouda, play by the enchanting Moksha Singh-Sharpe. Singh-Sharpe plays the perfect juxtaposition to Dwyer’s Phileas— where he is collected and calculating, she is fiery and passionate, a combination which floods the stage with intensity and zeal.
The abundant comedy in the show can be significantly accredited to the hilarious roles of Passepartout, Phileas’ loyal but naive French servant, and Detective Fix, the ditzy but determined detective tracking down Phileas for an alleged bank robbery. Riley Stewart (Passepartout) is a comedic genius, eliciting laughter with even the most subtle of facial expressions and enunciations. Melissa Raftis is stunningly hilarious as Detective Fix, bringing a high-energy performance of passion and farce that is guaranteed to amuse time and time again. Both Stewart and Raftis are absolutely delights to watch on stage and audiences of all ages will be endlessly entertained by them.
The final two members of the cast do the brunt of the heavy-lifting when it comes to world building (and indeed, with a story such as this, there is quite a bit of world that must be built). Lawrence Evenchick and Yazen Jaouni provide a masterclass in characterization as they collectively play over twenty different characters throughout the show. While the costume department deserves myriads of praise for their part of creating these characters, Evenchick and Jaouni’s brilliant versatility can not be overlooked. With unique accents, postures, expressions, and mannerisms for each character, it is hard to believe that any two parts are played by a singular actor, let alone over a dozen each.
This all adds to the magic of the show. Jules Verne’s original novel was so intriguing to its readers because it explored a world that existed primarily in their imaginations. Now that we have progressed so much, foreign continents no longer hold the same mystery and wonder. Yet by adapting it to the stage, Around The World once again calls upon the power of its audience’s imagination. With both the set and cast kept at a minimum, the audience becomes co-collaborators of the adventures and cultures we experience, the suspension of belief becoming not an obligation but a delight.
This show is an escape from the mundane everyday as you traverse the world in the epic race against the clock, sweeping you up in the adventure and romance. While there are plenty of reasons to still read Verne’s original novel, this production leaves us wondering if perhaps the stage is the superior format for depicting this story, especially for contemporary audiences. With certain features such as the time constraint of a run time, the energy exchange that comes from performing in front of a live audience, and the magic of watching the actors transform themselves before your eyes, the stage adaption truly captures the enticement of the original story in a format that some contemporary audiences will find more engaging.
A community theatre is only as good as its community and the Ottawa Little Theatre has an amazing community. Dozens of volunteers worked behind the scenes on Around the World, cumulatively provided hundreds of hours of their time to help this show come to life. “I’ve worked in every city across the country, I’ve lived all across the country, and there are no community theatres like this anywhere,” Chris Ralph says. “Being involved in a production really proved to me what a special place this is and how passionate people are about the stage, imagination, and theatre. This place just exudes energy.”
Around the World in 80 Days is playing at the Ottawa Little Theatre from July 12-29. Tickets can be purchased at www.ottawalittletheatre.com
