This month, get ready for an intriguing performance at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario! Catalyst Theatre presents The Invisible – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a brand-new theatrical musical. From January 16th to February 3rd, you can catch this award-winning Canadian hit on the Spriet Stage. The play uncovers the stories of brave women during World War II, incorporating dramatic music, engaging dance, and remarkable moments on the stage. Don’t miss out on this chance to peek into the lives of real-life heroines who gave it all for their countries.
“Mystery, drama, friendship, passion… secrets. These elements form the backbone of The Invisible,” remarks Grand Theatre Artistic Director, Rachel Peake. “The brilliant way Jonathan Christenson, and the team at Catalyst Theatre, weave stories for the stage, will travel audiences back in time to witness World War 2 from a uniquely female perspective. A story like this one, told through thrilling original music, bold choreography, and theatrical spectacle, connects the super-heroic— almost graphic-novelesque—way that we tend to understand this war, with the unique experiences of those who secretly contributed to its outcome.”
Six women from different countries and backgrounds are brought together by an avant-garde and fearless leader to form a spy cell in France in 1944. The play examines how each woman was recruited and what skills they brought to the table. Specializing in weapons, communication or logistics.
It was nice to see the Canadian, one of the six spies, the character, a Cree woman who liked to blow things up. Amanda Trap plays Betty and is, in fact, a Cree and Soulteaux (member of White Bear First Nations)/settler, actor and composer based out of Saskatoon, SK.
Other standouts in the cast were the lead Melissa MacPherson (Evelyn Ash), Sarah Nairne (Madeline) and Kristi Hansen (Dot). In my conversations with both Nairne and Hansen, we discussed the change in professional theatre with greater inclusion and diversity in theatre productions in Canada.
Melissa MacPherson was riveting. There were times in the second act where you could of heard a pin drop at The Grand Theatre. Her commanding voice, well-crafted dialogue and presence commanded the stage. I hope to see her again very soon.
“As an amputee, I was drawn to this character as Jonathan (Christenson – the director/writer) was drawn to Virgina Hall.” said Hansen, “She was a real-life diplomat wannabe whose life changed when she became an amputee as a result of a hunting accident.” She pointed out that in those times, a woman with a disability would have never been considered spy-material so the cover was perfect.
In The Invisible, Hansen’s character, Dot, uses a time-appropriate prosthesis. You are less likely to notice until it is pointed out in one of the scenes.
Hailing from Kitchener, Nairne, was very engaging and the strongest voice in the production. Our discussion drew to the continued rise in diversity on the Canadian theatre scenen as more and more minorities and people of colour are part of performances. No longer minor characters or token ethnicities, they are taking the leads in tradional plays. We discuss a few of her contemporaries at The Stratford Festival who are killing it in plays like Much Ado About Nothing and Little Women.
The all-female ensemble of agents includes London-born Kaylee Harwood, who was previously seen at the Grand Theatre in Controlled Damage (2022), and Tahirih Vejdani, a member of the company of Grand Ghosts (2022). Making their Grand Theatre debuts are: Amanda Trapp, Kristi Hansen, Melissa MacPherson, Sarah Nairne, and Justine Westby.
After seeing so many Grand Theatre productions with very elaborate and creative stage designs (Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, West Coast Kitchen Party, Phantom of the Opera), I was disappointed in The Invisible’s minimal approach. The only props used were chairs and those they used – a lot. There was plenty of picking up, putting down and lighting up of chairs. The dramatic change of scenery was in the lighting and projections, which made the flow of the play less monotonous.
Having few visual distractions makes you focus on the characters, dialogue, choreography and songs. The opening, somewhat macabre, scene was confusing as it was not directly tied to the story until the very end (and I mean very, very end). At intermission, I was reminded of that scene as another patron questioned how it would eventually tie back.
As we were leaving, I was happy to hear more than a few men mention that they really liked the play. My husband mentioned he enjoyed the first half better than the second, whereas I enjoyed the second half more. We both noted that the singing by Sarah Nairne was excellent and we hope to see her at the Stratford Festival sometime soon. We would have enjoyed hearing more from her character.
Overall the performance was well done and I would recommend it. This is an award winning play, justifiably so. Jonathan Christenson did an exceptional job as writer and director. He captured the female mystique and made every character intriguing.
Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.