Mark Crawford's 'The Golden Anniversaries' premieres at Blyth Festival

BY SCOTT STEPHENSON

When a group of local theatre-goers is heading into Memorial Hall to see any new play by Mark Crawford, they tend to carry themselves with a certain collective sense of surety. There’s a feeling that they are about to be the first audience to see something they are going to really love. And they’re going to see it right here in Blyth, in the place where the auspicious young playwright got his start in playwriting. When Crawford comes to town with new work, it always feels like a special occasion.

 

But last week’s world premiere of his new play The Golden Anniversaries wasn’t just special - it was a truly perfect afternoon of theatre. Crawford’s two-hander about the ups and downs of married life debuted to a packed house, and it absolutely blew the audience away. The show settled into its groove immediately, and the entire audience settled in with it. You could practically hear the sound of people’s individual worries and cares melting away as they became engaged in the art of other people’s problems. The many funny moments made everybody laugh together, and the sad bits struck a very real chord in people’s hearts. From the moment the show started to the moment the house lights went up, it felt real.

 

Veteran actors Janet-Laine Green as Sandy and Jim Mezon as Glen were utterly in sync all the way through this time-skipping tale of a marriage in turmoil. Although this is their first time working together in Blyth, they brought their relationship to life - it felt like watching two people who had been shaped and formed throughout many years together. They displayed all the little idiosyncrasies that develop between people who have been around each other for too long, or maybe just long enough. By skipping around in time, we get to see the evolution of a marriage - the cute quirks that become unbearable, the slow growth of invisible bonds, the different shades of love that people can feel for each other. It feels impossible for any couple to see this show and not see at least a little of themselves in the characters.

 

Green and Mezon impressed not only with the quality of their performances, but the quantity! There was a considerable amount of dialogue, and both actors handled themselves beautifully. Their conversations never felt like written lines that had been rehearsed over and over - although they most certainly were. It felt like just watching people talk. The funny bits were just bawdy enough without ever becoming crass, and the most emotional moments came when nobody was talking at all. There was obvious humour in the physicality of Mezon’s performance - Glen is a goofy guy, and he does silly things. Green’s performance is a bit more subtle, but she brings a lot of nuance to the role of Sandy.

 

There were only two actors in the whole play, but the stage felt full of younger versions of themselves. The younger Sandy and Glen are looking hopefully towards their future selves, while the current-day couple is haunted by the Glen and Sandy of the past. Subtle lighting cues were all they needed to jump back and forth between time periods, and they brought the audience with them everywhere they went.

 

There was a seemingly simple story that crept up on the audience slowly, building into something that suddenly felt unbearably big. Even though it ended on a perfect note, you wanted it to somehow, keep going just a little longer. The Golden Anniversaries is a show you’re not going to want to miss.