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Culture Theatre

Zadie’s Shoes

ZADIE’S SHOES by Adam Pettle, directed by Adam and Jordan Pettle (Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst). To June 5. Pwyc-$45. 416-504-9971. See listing Rating: NNNN

Writer Adam Pettle has left the theatre for TV, so I only hope viewers appreciate his strong, funny and moving voice, which is wonderfully evident through the Factory’s revival of his 2001 play, Zadie’s Shoes.

Slightly altered and updated by the author, who also co-directs with his brother Jordan (who starred in the original production), the play tells the story of Benjamin (Joe Cobden) and Ruth (Patricia Fagan), a young couple who are about to go to Mexico to get experimental treatment for Ruth’s cancer.

The problem is, Benjamin has gambled away all their money. In a complicated scheme involving his cross-addicted buddy, Bear (William MacDonald), and a mysterious stranger named Eli (Harry Nelken) he meets at a synagogue, he tries to win it all back – and more – before Ruth finds out.

Ruth, meanwhile, is dealing with her two sisters, the flaky Lily (Shannon Perreault) and the competitive Beth (Lisa Ryder), a professional curler who’s just as obsessed with luck as Benjamin.

Pettle’s dialogue is alive with one-liners and layers of emotional resonance, and each character sounds distinct. True, Bear feels a bit like a dramatic device, but MacDonald is so likeable, it doesn’t matter. Ryder, unseen on local stages for years, brings laser-like focus to the ambitious Beth, and the three sisters have a believable rapport.

Cobden’s Benjamin is slightly dour – not quite as optimistic as Jordan Pettle’s was in the original production, but it works for the character.

Jackie Chau’s set effectively helps establish the various locales, and it works well in the play’s exciting climax. About that climax: it’s set partly at a racetrack, which might be a bit dated but is much more theatrical than today’s ubiquitous slot machines and poker tables.

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