Geordie Theatre Fest: a cure to January blues

By Will Nye

With Christmas and New Year over, January has a reputation for being a dark, dreary month. Geordie Theatre Fest, taking place from the 26th – 28th January, offers some light at the end of the tunnel. You will have the chance to see both of their shows currently on tour, Perfect Storm and Instant, which have been delighting audiences around the country and now return to Montréal for one weekend only. Maybe January is not so bad after all.

Taking place at La Maison Théâtre, these performances mark the halfway point in the ‘2Play Tour’, Canada’s largest annual theatre tour. I spoke to Jimmy Blais, artistic director of Geordie Theatre and former 2Play actor himself, to learn more.

Sebastian Quint and Masha Bashmakova in “Perfect Storm”

Equipped with a van, a portable set, and a dedicated small team, the 2Play tour visits pockets of English-speaking communities in Quebec and beyond, covering 35,000 km and an audience of 40,000 students. With a pre-show workshop, study guides, and post-show discussion, Geordie Theatre aims to facilitate sensitive, important conversations amongst young people. The tour is a marvellous feat of dedication, an endeavour that prides itself on bringing live art to remote communities. That is easier said than done when, like Harrington Harbour and regions near the Labrador border, the only means of access is by boat or propeller plane. Accessible theatre is at the core of Geordie Theatre, a company that views live performance not as a luxury for the few, but as a right for all.

For the three actors – Meenu Atwal, Masha Bashmakova and Sebastian Quint – Geordie Theatre Fest represents a sort of homecoming. Since September they have performed far and wide, from the Îles de la Madeleine to Chibougamau. Yet, for one weekend, this hard work will be on display for all Montréal to see.

Masha Bashmakova, Sebastian Quint, and Meenu Atwal in “Instant”

Perfect Storm and Instant are the two captivating plays on offer, both intimately connected in their themes of self-discovery.

“Both shows deal with the inner critic and the outer critic and the pressure that the outside world puts on us”

Perfect Storm, written by Gillian Clark for elementary school students, tells the tale of two close friends working through their feelings of insecurity and jealousy, as they learn to raise each other up rather than tear each other down. In Instant, written by Governor-General Award winner Erin Shields for the CEGEP level, we meet three teenagers seeking fame and recognition whilst navigating the pitfalls of instant communication.

How best to broach these kinds of topics without alienating your audience? After all, kids and teenagers are famously a tough crowd: ‘they say it how it is’, Jimmy admits. The answer, he tells me, starts with the brief wondrous moment where someone sees themselves reflected on stage. 

Masha Bashmakova, Meenu Atwal and Sebastian Quint in “Perfect Storm”.

“‘It is all about the container you serve big themes up in. It is about speaking the same language’.”

Unlike a lecture or a lesson, theatre creates a deep emotional connection. As young people grapple for meaning in an often-disorienting world, this human connection is invaluable. I must say, when articulated like this, Jimmy makes theatre seem less like an educational tool and more like an act of magic.

Masha Bashmakova and Sebastian Quint in “Instant”

During our chat, I was struck by Geordie’s deep respect and passion for their audience. Whether by enlisting a teen ambassador in the making of Instant or by creating a comfortable and relaxed theatre-going experience, young people take centre stage in all that Geordie Theatre does. ‘Our audience is everything to us’, Jimmy says with a smile. And it certainly seems that way.

Through punchy writing, crafty direction, and sincere care for their audience, Perfect Storm and Instant promise to delight kids, teenagers, and adults alike. In Montréal for one weekend only, buy your tickets now to put an end to those January blues.