HOLIDAY
IN ZÜRICH
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE?
World Premiere
Canadian Play
written by
Colleen
Murphy
Directed
by Micheline
Chevrier
With
Danielle
Desormeaux
and Brian
Dooley
The
Montreal’s Centaur
Theatre presents the world premiere of a heartfelt romantic tragicomedy,
starring Montreal theatre luminaries Brian
Dooley
and Danielle
Desormeaux,
and directed by the acclaimed Micheline
Chevrier.
This new work from Colleen
Murphy, who is a two-time Governor General’s Award winner and an appointee to the Order
of Canada, will resonate across generations. It offers to those who has
ever loved and lost a story that is painful yet at times funny. The
production runs in the Centaur’s newly
renovated “C2” theatre space.
Set entirely in their bedroom, Holiday in Zürich follows a happily married Canadian couple in their 70’s, Frank and Clementine (Tiny), as they prepare for a hard-earned, jam-packed trip to Switzerland. Frank is actually travelling toward the most difficult challenge of his life, the end of his life. Yet his wife Tiny is ever hopeful and eager to avoid a hard truth. She has planned a holiday full of sight-seeing, romance, and European cuisine—holding fast to the vacation of their dreams. As they pack their suitcases, their different expectations for the trip come into direct and often disarmingly funny collision.
With wit, warmth, and emotional precision, one of English-speaking Canada’s most celebrated playwrights explores what it means to keep choosing and supporting each other when time is no longer on your side.
Ultimately, Holiday in Zürich is a deeply human story about a couple facing their fate with humour, tenderness, and the messy but miraculous endurance of “The Power of Love”. Yes, the Céline Dion reference is very much intended and stressed in this play.
Artistic Director Eda Holmes states:
"Colleen Murphy is one of Canada’s most celebrated playwrights and Holiday in Zurich brings her immense wealth of talent and experience as a storyteller to one of the most delicate topics for our times. In the hands of the exceptional artists creating this production, Colleen’s ability to find the gentleness, love and real humour in the conversation about the end of a life is how great theatre is made."
The Story Behind Holiday in Zürich, as narrated by the playwright Colleen Murphy :
“I am not known for writing comedy, but two and a half years ago, Brian Dooley, a Montreal actor and a dear colleague who has acted in three world premieres of my plays, starts bugging me. “Hey Col – write me a play!” As much as I love working with him, I said, “I can’t write a play with a specific actor in mind. It limits my imagination.” A few months pass then he bugs me again. “Hey Col – c’mon, write me a play.” I said, “It’s never gonna happen.” A few weeks later, “Hey Col – write me a play.” “No, Brian, so stop bugging me about it!” A couple of days later I wake up and, as I was crawling into the kitchen to make coffee, I realized a whole play was unfolding in my head in real time, so I grabbed a pen and started scribbling. The writing was illegible but those two characters – Frank and Tiny Pelletier - found a permanent home in my imagination.
Though everybody has a right and power to decide about their own life, yet the topic of a voluntary and preferred euthanasia is not an easy one. The play's intended humorous aspects lighten this topic up, but do not entirely resolve it.
Additional information:
https://centaurtheatre.com/shows/holiday-in-zurich/
Centaur Theatre, 453 St-François-Xavier Street, Montreal, QC
Tickets from 15$
