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Culture Theatre

>>> Review: Triumphant Testament

THE TESTAMENT OF MARY by Colm Toibin (Soulpepper). At the Young Centre (50 Tank House). Runs to June 18. $25-$60, rush $25 and $5 (youth). 416-866-8666, soulpepper.ca. See listing. Rating: NNNN

A revisionist take on one of the Western worlds most iconic stories, Colm Toibins The Testament Of Mary looks deep into a mothers grief and a womans determination to speak her own truth instead of one manufactured by others.

In this solo show, Mary (Nancy Palk), the mother of Jesus, talks to us as a way of coming to terms with her life and loss. Sequestered at the end of her life far from her Nazareth home, she is guarded and questioned by two unnamed men who want to spread the story of her son to the world.

Mary is not so tractable, nor, though illiterate and unworldly, is she the simple fool they take her for.

Thats why her testament is so important. We are the witnesses of her story, her memories, which include the calm gentleness and simplicity of the early days with her family and the worry and disruptions that came about when her son its too painful for her to even mention his name became involved with a group of revolutionary misfits watched by the Roman and Jewish authorities.

In fact, the play has a lot of the political thriller about it, with warring factions both overt and covert forcing Mary to decide whom to trust in a changeable, unsteady society.

Gliding through a variety of tones and moods under Aaron Williss well-shaped direction, Palk at times conjures up an ironic, grim comedy about the events around her, and at others wipes tears from her face. This Mary is arguably a proto-feminist, unwilling to accept what patriarchal voices want to force on her and ultimately aware that her own words matter.

At the shows centre is the bond between mother and son, one that involves rejection and hurt, and Palk beautifully captures Marys two fears: for her son and of what hes become. These are as vivid as the depiction of the crucifixion shes forced to witness and of the ways she distracts herself from its horror.

If theres an epitome of that terror, its a riveting moment that focuses on the inhale and exhale of air credit actor, director and Louis Spritzer (responsible, as the program notes, for voice + breath) for those unforgettable few seconds.

The design is as powerful as the script and performance, Lorenzo Savoinis lighting relying on candles, spotlit moments and shadows on a set of strewn tables and chairs. Gillian Gallows costume pieces are appropriately unfussy not the blue usually associated with Mary and Richard Ferens sound design captures both a heartbeat and an unsettling cacophony.

There are a few unnecessary touches for instance, moments when Marys voice is miked to echo and reverberate but they are minor irritations in a strong, engaging production.

Be sure to have a look around the dim, candle-lit theatre corridor as you make your way to your seat, and check it again on your way out. The difference is telling.

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