The Children

Centaur Theatre /50th Season

The Children

November 6 - 25, 2018

A 2018 Tony-nominated play

Written by Lucy Kirkwood

Directed by Eda Holmes

With Geordie Johnson, Laurie Paton and Fiona Reid

Centaur Theatre and Canadian Stage Co-production

Quebec Premier

The Children, written by a British playwright Lucy Kirkwood, earned two Tony Award nominations: the Best Play and the Outer Critics Circle Award. It also won the Writer’s Guild of Great Britain Award for Best Play in January 2018. It made its debut in November 2016 at the Royal Court (London, UK). A year later, it opened on Broadway, at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Last month, October 2018, it enjoyed a successful ran at Canadian Stage, the Performing Arts Theatre in Toronto. Now, it is enjoying the Quebec premieres at Montréal’s Centaur Theatre.

The play examines the forefront issues we now all face as a collective humanity – the safety of our energy sources, the toxic and nauseous pollution of our living environment, and the sense of responsibility, or the lack of it, as how to remedy the consequences of our mistakes.

Following a nuclear disaster in the plant where they used to work, two British nuclear engineers, a husband and wife, live just outside of the exclusion zone, near a seaside, where they moved after the accident. At their retirement age, when they should have enjoyed their lives after having contributed their long careers to the society, they are now facing not only the re-examination of their relationship but also consequences of their mistakes, both personal and professional. This is triggered by an unexpected visit of a former colleague whom they have not seen in 38 years. What at first appear as a simple reminiscing, escalates into an existential and moral dilemma with inevitable, grave and irreversible consequences to all three characters.

I highly recommend this play. It has an intricate plot where the real meaning revealed only at the end. The play raises important issues that could affect all of us, and suggest we are all responsible for our actions within our society. Though at first it appears to be light-hearted, it is in reality quite multifaceted. In addition, the actors’ performance is excellent.

PRODUCTION TEAM:

Set & Costume Designer Eo Sharp

Lighting Designer Bonnie Beecher

Sound Designer John Gzowski Assistant Director Christine Horne

Assistant Sound Designer Maddie Bautista

Stage Manager Maria Popoff

Apprentice Stage Manager Meghan Froebelius

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For more information, visit the Centaur Theatre website.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES

Sunday Chat-Up:

Sunday November 11, 2018 at 12:30pm in the Gallery.

Join Gazette Editor-in-Chief, Lucinda Chodan, in conversation with Colleen Thorpe, Director of Sustainability Consulting at Equiterre. Together they will discuss possible solutions that can be done individually and collectively, to improve the fate of the planet.

Free public event with refreshments provided by Bonaparte Restaurant.

Post-Show Talkbacks:

Thursday November 15 and Sunday November 18.

Audience members are invited to stay after the performances for a Q&A with select members of the cast.

Saturday Salon:

Saturday November 24 after the matinée performance, at 3:30pm in the Gallery.

Join Eda Holmes, Centaur’s Artistic and Executive Director and also The Children Director, for an informal conversation about The Children, Season 50, and what is coming up at Centaur.