Late Company

By Nick May

Late Company is the perfect example of what happens when all of the technical stars align to create great theatre. The set, lighting and sound design were brilliantly simplistic. The actors truly connected with the piece and the director helped pull all of this together. But none of this could have been possible without the foundation of the script, written by Jordan Tannahill. Tannahill is Canada’s rising star in theatre; among his many accolades, the Governor General’s Award for Drama in 2014. 

Tannahill’s script takes us on a journey:

“One year after a tragedy, two families sit down to dinner. Far from finding the closure they seek, the dinner strips bare their good intentions to reveal layers of parental, sexual, and political hypocrisy. Written with sensitivity and humour, Late Company is both a timely and timeless meditation on a parent’s struggle to comprehend the monstrous and unknown in their child.”

Inspired by the real-life case of bullied Ottawa area teen Jamie Hubley, this is a story of personal justice, mourning, and the lengths that may be necessary to assist others in their grieving process.  Late Company is a 75-minute one-act play that takes us through moments of deep tension and drama while allowing us to breath (sometimes with a quick chuckle), before continuing on a rollercoaster of emotion.

The actors all had beautiful moments on stage, but the true standout for me was Liam Sullivan as Curtis Dermot. Liam embodied the essence of a real teenager struggling to understand the true meanings of his actions while being pulled in vastly different directions of the ‘best way’ to handle his emotions. 

I wouldn’t classify this as a morality play, but I definitely walked out of the theatre asking myself a lot of questions about a sensitive situation in which there aren’t clear black and white answers.

Late Company is playing at the Theatre Centre until November 29. Whether you were the bully or the bullied in high school (or simply a wallflower), I encourage you to see this show before it's gone. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised if this play recieves another remount in the near future. 

Further info and tickets at: http://theatrecentre.org/