Meg Farhall and Mike Tan are among the most well-known and sought-after stage actors in Calgary, but despite their many roles on stage together, the pair have never been the two leads in a romantic comedy.
But in Beyond the Sea from Lunchbox Theatre, the pair known for roles in Theatre Calgary’s Blithe Spirit and A Christmas Carol will be getting that first as romantic co-leads in a script full of snappy one-liners and seemingly effortless jokes from playwright Kristen Da Silva.
Director Bronwyn Steinberg said that audiences will get to really see the pair shine on stage this October.
“You usually see them in these big shows that have like 10 people in them and that’s awesome and they have incredible roles in theirs, but when you see them in a two-hander, you just spend a whole hour with them instead of with all these different people in all these different locations,” she said.
“They’re both so naturally funny, and they’ve worked together a lot, especially with improv and comedy-type things. So, they have a really great dynamic with each other that’s just really natural and really fun to watch.”
Beyond the Sea tells the story of two people who find themselves on an unexpected date, after Tan’s character Theo is stood up and the Gwen, played by Farhall, is working at the ghost boat tour where the date was supposed to happen.
“As they get to know each other, it’s revealed that they each are dealing with loss in their lives. One of them has been widowed, the other one is divorced. And so it’s kind of a cute rom-com for people who are a bit older, they’ve had some loss, and they also deserve to have another chance and meet someone new,” said Steinberg.
“These two characters do have their baggage, they do have their flaws, they do have their heartbreaks, but ultimately, the time that we spend with them in this show is fun. It’s a really good time at the theatre.”
Although the play wasn’t written for the Halloween season, she said, by happy coincidence, it’s the perfect rom-com for October.
“The story of the character that they talk about in the ghost boat tour is kind of has a parallel with the characters in the show. So, I think that’s why it’s there. But it is quite fun that we’ve got it in October. So we have something a little ghosty,” said Steinberg.
Adding to the fun of the show, she said, the Lunchbox Theatre staging has been set up with audiences on two sides of the set.
“One of the great opportunities of being on a date, is not only do you meet a new person, but introducing yourself to that person, you kind of meet yourself again. I think that staging it this way is a neat way to have the audience also have that feeling of being seen, and allowing yourself to be seen and and seeing someone on the other side. We’re all just at the pier, listening in and allowing ourselves to be a little bit vulnerable there,” said Steinberg.
What audiences get to see in the approximately one-hour play is that gentle romance unfold.
“Kristen’s script is so cleverly structured. Every loose end kind of leads to a resolution. In fact, there aren’t any loose ends, even the ghost story. That part is more theatrical or almost like a poem or a short story, where it can be dense with story and imagery and all those things, but because nothing’s wasted, everything’s really clear and really meaningful,” said Steinberg.
“It does leave at the end. It’s up to you to decide how the characters move forward from here. Do they go on an actual date after this, or do they never see each other again?”
Audiences will get a chance to see for themselves from Oct. 14 through Nov. 2, at Lunchbox Theatre at the base of the Calgary Tower. Tickets, which range from $21 to $35 are available at www.lunchboxtheatre.com.
