How far would one go for freedom? Would they bet their own soul on a card game?

Those are among the questions asked in Conor McPherson’s 2006 Tony and Lawrence Olivier nominated play The Seafarer.

The dark comedy, set in Ireland, has now made its way to an Alberta Theatre Projects stage as the opening production of ATP’s 50th season.

Starring in The Seafarer is an icon of Canadian screen and stage, Paul Gross, who, alongside the all-star cast of stage veterans, has brought an intense and gripping presence to the Mephistophelian tale.

“Chirag [Naik] is just unbelievable, and Shaun Smyth is just a real powerful, smoldering presence. David Trimble is from another planet, and he’s just fantastic. Chris Hunt is like—everyone calls him a national treasure—and he is. He’s Calgary,” said Gross.

“So it’s really a great ensemble. It’s fantastic to be working with them. We’re having a lot of fun.”

Gross himself is playing the dark visitor Mr. Lockheart, who arrives from the past of James “Sharky” Harkin (played by Smyth), during a night of poker.

During the night, Sharky’s past and the mysterious visitor are revealed, setting the stage—quite literally—for a finish that isn’t all that it originally seems to be.

The Seafarer is Gross’ first return to a Calgary stage in decades, something he said was due to his connection to Alberta Theatre Project’s Artistic Director, and for McPherson’s writing.

“The first reason, I guess, would be the play itself. The Seafarer is just a beautiful piece of writing by Conor McPherson, the Irish playwright who I think ranks up there with Joyce and Beckett. I think he’s really something. But it’s also, it came up early because of Haysam Kadri, the artistic director of [ATP],” Gross said.

“I knew Haysam 24 years ago when I did Hamlet at Stratford, and he was in it. I had a lot of lines, and he had none. But even then, I thought, ‘you know he’s really a kind of theatre animal.’ He’s incredibly driven, very smart, very unbelievably talented. He said, ‘Well, would you like to come out?'”

That yes, along with the chance to work again on his hometown stage, was just kind of perfect said Gross.

Something darkly familiar

For what audiences can expect though, he said, was hopefully a terrific evening at the theatre.

“I hope they come away with the feeling that it was a really good, full, enjoyable evening. But I think it’s also an interesting, a very interesting kind of meditation on the nature of friendship and family—what do those bonds mean and how do they sustain us,” Gross said.

“It was very interesting that we had our first preview audience last night, and you know, when you’re working on something for a long time, you kind of forget that the play has lots of turns and twists that I don’t think people can see… last night there was sort of, ooh, oh, right, yeah, that is quite surprising. You get a little bit kind of blasé about it, but it is really a lovely and exciting play to watch.”

The production itself, from the setting to the set, is also something that Calgarians are likely to connect with.

The faux run-down and lived-in set that has been created by set and prop designer Hanne Loosen perfectly captures the look that many Calgarians of a certain generation are likely to instantly recognize.

The cultural connection that many Calgarians have to Ireland, is also present in The Seafarer.

“Or all Canadians,” said Gross.

“I think the set and the set and the decoration of the set is really fabulous and but I think we also have this country has quite a connection to Ireland itself. We’ve got lots and lots of people settled here. And I come down from Irish in part, from Irish heritage. So I think it’s something we just have in our DNA a little bit.”

The Seafarer runs from Oct. 15 through Nov. 10 at the Martha Cohen Theatre. Tickets are on sale at albertatheatreprojects.com/whats-on/2024-25/the-seafarer.

Photos from The Seafarer