REVIEW: Liars at a Funeral
Port Stanley is the place to be during the summer months.
Port Stanley is the place to be during the summer months. We had a fun-filled day – beach time, perch dinner and a fun-filled evening at the theatre.
Port Stanley Festival Theatre’s latest production, Liars at a Funeral by Sophia Fabiili, is a fabulously silly production. You can’t help but laugh your way through their mischievous antics that happen on stage.
As you walk into the theatre, you see a closed casket centre stage. First thought that came to my mind was I wondered if a local funeral home lent them the casket or if the theatre had to buy it. Not your usual stage prop, so probably didn’t have one tucked away in storage. But you never know. I didn’t get a chance to ask. But I digress.
This is a play about a dysfunctional family and a matriarch’s desire to reunite her family. The play revolves around long buried truths, family secrets.
The whole family has been reunited, begrudgingly, one last time for Grandma Mavis’s funeral. The liars have come home from the big city to roost, but is this family capable of finally burying the hatchet? Many family secrets are unearthed as the play unfolds, but not quite as you might expect.
Its comedic chaos as the family tries to navigate through their relationships, past and present. Each family member seems to have their own secrets and issues to confront, and the clash of personalities create some humorous situations. Can they overcome it or will this be the final nail in the coffin for this dysfunctional family?
Featuring five actors playing nine characters, it’s a laugh-out-loud romp full of uproarious comedy. The cast does a truly amazing job. They seamlessly move from one character role to another and have you trying to guess when they completed the changeover roles. Switching between characters requires quick costume changes and clever use of the set. The set design cleverly features several doorways and hideaways which help facilitate the transitions. It’s a true masterpiece of staging and acting.
The play is a comedy that explores themes of family dysfunction, and the lengths people go to for love and connection. Witty banter pokes fun at the absurdity of family life.
You won’t want to miss seeing the multi-character mischief-making and hilarity. After all, it’s not every day that grandma fakes her own death and plans her own funeral.
So often I hear people talk about having to travel into the big cities to see good live theatre. I’m always quick to reply that there are lots of opportunities to see some excellent theatre productions in rural Ontario. There is no need to travel into the big city.
Liars at a Funeral is on stage at Port Stanley Festival Theatre until Aug. 2.
Starring Barbara Saxberg, Lia Luz, Justin Otto, Sarah Machin Gale, and Andy Pogson. Directed by Julie Tomaino. Set design by Eric Bunnell and Lighting design by Karen Crichton.
Check out Port Stanley Festival Theatre’s other summer productions coming up on stage this summer including:
- The Kitchen Witches by Caroline Smith – Saucy chefs Dolly and Isobel have their own live cable-access cooking shows, each with dwindling ratings. So, what could possibly go wrong if they joined forces? Everything! It is on stage from Aug. 6 to Aug. 23.
- Goldfish – A moving tale of two lonely people who didn’t know how much they needed each other – until they did. On stage Aug. 27 to Sept. 13.
Note: New for the 2025 season, all evening shows start at 7:30 p.m.
For tickets, call the box office 519-782-4353 or book online www.psft.ca
By Sharon Grose, Ontario Farmer
