From Lunchbox Theatre’s Security
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Lunchbox Theatre
Monday, January 21 - Saturday, February 9
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Security is a delightfully funny little show. I laughed my way throughout the entire 45-minute production.
Written by Calgary playwright Neil Fleming, the play starts out by introducing two bumbling security guards who work at a Calgary apartment building. The senior guard (Curt McKinstry) thinks tracking down a tenant's missing cat is just as important as locating a lost nuclear weapon about to explode; the junior guard (Trevor Rueger) is a dorky, budding screenwriter whose "celebrity crush" is the sci-fi, B-movie star of the Space Kitten series.
The audience then meets the face behind Space Kitten (Nicole Zylstra) and finds out she's just a simple girl from Fort McMurray who's growing tired of a film career that consists entirely of Space Kitten flicks. She wants to expand her acting horizons into more artistic territory, like a movie about Tim Hortons, or something with Zamboni in the title. She takes the stereotype of an innocent, pampered starlet to new extremes when she steps into an elevator and doesn’t realize she needs to push a button to make it rise.
Meanwhile, her sexy and conniving agent (Jane MacFarlane) is quite happy to keep little Miss Space Kitten under her well-manicured thumb. She's always considerate enough to test-drive men before they head the starlet's way and helpfully advises her to stick with her masked Space Kitten gig for fear people might see a William Shatner-like resemblance if she were to reveal her face.
The two head to Calgary for a retreat and encounter the security guards. A case of mistaken identities ensues, and we see the security guards stumble, stutter and bumble their way through their encounters with the two women. And Mr. Wannabe Screenwriter finally has a chance to pitch his script.
Directed by Andy Curtis, the entire show is a farcical riff on a whole pile of stereotypes and clichés. However, the actors deliver all the silliness with such sincerity and earnestness that I couldn't stop laughing. With references to perogies, Ukrainians and Fort McMurray, Security is full of regional humour that only Albertans would know and love.
The innovative use of sound and set in the show is particularly impressive. The security guards love their walkie-talkies, and there are several engaging scenes during which their lines are delivered over the devices. The set consists of two simple revolving flats, but the actors move them with such speed and accuracy that the narrative never starts to lag.
The humour just keeps coming, and the play clips along. Before I knew it, the lunch hour was up.
