FALLING ANGEL by Erica Wood with Bruce Hunter (RealSpace Theatre). Shaw Park CAMH (1001 Queen West). July 6-7 at 6:30 pm and July 9-15 at 6:30 pm. See listing. Rating: NN
In this odd three-hander an Angel (Erica Wood) and a Man (Stevie Jay) banter about why theyve been brought together, occasionally interrupted by the appearance of a nasty God (Jamillah Ross) riding a wheelchair, sporting a Superman T-shirt and even performing a rap.
Co-writer Wood carries the play, and her Angel has moments of insight and compassion, but the script resists exploring deeper themes.
The 45-minute show takes far too long to reach important plot points, instead filling up time with hackneyed jokes and references (Charlies Angels, the Kung Fu Fighting song and the Chicken Dance) and clunky dialogue.
The outdoor park setting requires the actors to battle city noise and despite an amplified sound system they often yell their lines. Unfortunately, Falling Angel mostly crashes and burns.
