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Culture Theatre

Fringe review: A Plague Upon The Doctor’s House

A PLAGUE UPON THE DOCTORS HOUSE by James D. Rose (Deadbeat Productions). At Factory Studio. July 8 at 5:45 pm, July 10 at 2:15 pm, July 12 at 10 pm, July 13 at 8 pm. See listing. Rating: NNN

Written and directed by James Rose, this eccentric comedy set in 18th-century England brings together mistaken identities, roguish thieves, a drunk nun, a murderous widow, all set against the backdrop of an outbreak of the bubonic plague.

The casts energy is high and each performer fully commits to their role with uneven results: Hannah Ehman plays Amy, the doctors wife, at an intense pitch that drowns out some of the funnier moments. Catherine Teichman as Sister Anne and Nicholas Eddie as Bradley stood out as the funniest, their more understated approach allowing for the contrast and timing necessary for the humour to come through.

The storyline and characters are solid, but Roses script needs editing: many of the scenes drag on too long, hitting the same repetitive notes and killing the pace despite the high energy.

@lisammckeown

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