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Culture Stage

Little One

LITTLE ONE by Hannah Moscovitch. See listing. Rating: NNNN


Foster sibs Aaron and Claire (Joe Cobden and Michelle Monteith) talk about their love for each other, but there’s a snag: Claire’s a dangerous, unpredictable and untrustworthy child with psychological problems.

Hannah Moscovitch’s wryly funny, scary, nuanced script is gripping from its first minutes, though the intentional ambiguities at the end are more puzzling than suggestive.

Still, you couldn’t ask for a better production Cobden and Monteith have honed their respective energies with laser sharpness. He relies on a nervousness that suits Aaron’s frequent half-sentences, while she does much with silences and quiet moments of amoral honesty, interrupted by frightening, volcanic outbursts.

Natasha Mytnowych directs with precision and makes great use of the theatre’s various levels and designer Kimberly Purtell’s evocative lighting, while supporting actor Kaylie Lau helps establish atmosphere with her piano playing.

The result: a haunting theatrical hour about the unpredictable possibilities of love.

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