Ashley Hiibner as The Emperor. Photo by Shelanne Justice
Project X Theatre’s production of The Emperor’s New Threads by Melody and Peter Anderson is a family friendly blend of humour for all ages. Co-directed by Robin Nichol and Jessica Buchanan, their ability to bring a production with more characters than actors to life was a tough task, and they excelled through creative reasoning of character absences and trust in the actors’ talent. Their collaboration makes for a terrific blend of comedy and improv producing a heartwarming and wholesome, medieval themed story under the trees.
The unique outdoor venue at Prince Charles Park in downtown Kamloops makes for a theatre watching experience like no other. The trees filter the sunlight coming through as the bright colours of the set shift as the evening progresses. I was fortunate to attend this showing on opening night where the perfect weather was present showing off the created beauty of an outdoor venue and set. The Emperor’s New Threads is a feel-good medieval fashion story that left the audience in laughter while they thought about what to wear tomorrow.
With the Royal Procession upon him, The Emperor is obsessed with finding an outfit to captivate the attention of his people. With time running out the Emperor unknowingly puts his fate in two swindlers and self-proclaimed “master weavers” to design an outfit so amazing that it can only be seen by those who are good at their job. In exchange for gold coins and mac and cheese, with lots of cheese, the swindlers, Cornelius Phibbs and Felix Saggenbottom get to work on their master plan of creating an outfit so unique and spectacular that only one is able to see through its lies. Will the Emperor steal the show with his newest one-of-a-kind outfit, or will the truth prevail from an unexpected source?
Directors, Cast, and Stage Management.
Photo by Shelanne Justice
The actors’ versatility was impressive as the three all played multiple characters within the play. Using different voice techniques, the cast made the show feel like the number of characters matched the number of actors. Ashley Hiibner’s performance as The Emperor was exceptional. Her enthusiasm and energy within the character kept the audience upbeat and engaged in The Emperor’s story while challenging other characters. Harmony Maher’s depiction of Cornelius Phibbs is a perfect match. Her devotion to this role was felt in her intentional tone shift when speaking to The Emperor, in a scheme influenced yet professional tone, to the fed-up protector role when her character is interacting with Felix. The dynamic of Cornelius and Felix is a recipe for laughter brought to life. Jake Kopytko’s portrayal of Felix Saggenbottom is a comedic masterpiece.
From the first second of the play, Jake captured the audience with his entrance as the child. His seamless transitions between characters prevented any disconnect during the story while his commitment to the role of Felix made the audience want to root for the swindlers.
Susan Dixon’s costume choices complemented the time period and themes of the story while Finn Modder’s prop choices aided in the actor’s delivery by enhancing the depth and visual elements. Lukas Vanderlip’s sound design of medieval instrumentals served as the backbone while his ability to tie sound effects perfectly into character action was impressive and enhanced the visuals of the story through his auditory choices and incorporation. The set made me feel like I was witnessing a fun house being interacted with by the characters in front of me. From the various hidden compartments used for storage and the occasional comedic jump scare to the props on the walls that I was convinced were for decorative purposes, the set is a layered masterpiece. The sunlight filtered through the trees produced unique shadows proving to be the cherry on top for a first-class set designed by Brittney Martens and Finn Modder built by Jeremy Noel.
Jake Koptyko and Harmony Maher. Photo by Shelanne Justice
Project X Theatre’s production of Thumbelina by Jakob Kopytko, adapted from the story by Hans Christian Andersen, is a once upon a time fairy-tale packed with sparkles of hope, resilience, and laughter. Directed by Pat Rundell, his understanding of the message and themes combined with creative brilliance makes for an adaptation that feels like an original. His blend of language, movement, and stage direction creates layers to the show resulting in a performance that has a lot going on managed in a way that is both cohesive and successful.
Rain challenged the outdoor venue at Prince Charles Park in downtown Kamloops in which it succeeded.
The Cast of Thumbelina. Photo by Shelanne Justice.
The overhead coverings kept the audience dry while stage managers Emily Brown and Shade Arendt dried off the set to ensure the cast was safe during performance. The weather, although not ideal, added to the immersion of the story as the rain and darkness complimented the scenes at the swamp. Thumbelina is a magical fairy-tale of overcoming one’s own limitations that taught the audience the power of what can happen when you believe in yourself.
Born from a flower and no bigger than a thumb, Thumbelina is longing for adventure as she is intrigued by her mother’s story of her interaction with the fairies and wants to write one herself. Ready for any opportunity, Thumbelina meets Cornelius on accident as she is presented with a choice of returning a forgotten item of potential importance or waiting for their scheduled meeting the next day. Thumbelina begins down an adventure of uncertainty, overcoming challenges, and avoiding the toads in which she learns about the importance of self-belief. Will Thumbelina succeed in her mission or will the toads have something to say about it?
Lucas Lochrie as Beau.
The performance was a choregraphed spectacle of an entire cast and director all on the same wavelength. The movements on stage between actors were in sync with their chemistry as a cast on full display. The choregraphed fight scenes directed by Nathania Bernabe and Jackie T. Hanlin was another example of the actors’ ability to adapt across various scenes. Their ability to flow as one through the performance aligned with the fantasy fairy-tale genre while dialogue decisions from writer Jake Kopytko kept the show fun and humorous in an unconventional combination of fairy-tale and comedy that is a recipe for success.
Although the cast was exceptional at portraying their individual roles, their dynamic as two and a group as a whole was a testament to their teamwork and ability to work together. Kelsey Launier as Thumbelina showcased her ability to shift her tone and presentation within character based on who Thumbelina was interacting with.
This confirms her versatility and was a display of both skill and upbeat enthusiasm that was perfect for her role as Thumbelina. Lucas Lochrie as Beau showcases the ideal framework for a narrator role while their acting skills as Barnabee the bee confirm their skillset by relying on movement and sound to bring the character to life. Rem Murray’s depiction of Cornelius is a story book enthusiasm that compliments his partner in crime, Barnabee. Having to interpret sound as dialogue, Rem shows a strong understanding of interpreting a language that doesn’t exist. His supplementary role of Mumphus Mole was comedic relief for the audience and a good sample of his ability to succeed in diverse roles. Greg Brown’s giddy depiction of Wart is spot on. His understanding of the role compliments the dynamic between Wart and Mama Toad as he understands when the character changes from joyful and ecstatic to timid and shy. Brittney Martens’ performance as both Mama Toad and the Mother was a polar opposite masterclass. I had to convince myself that she was playing both characters as her ability to deliver a wholesome interpretation of Thumbelina’s Mother to an entitled self-centered Mama Toad was second to none.
The costumes designed by Marian Trusscott combined with puppets designed by Randi Edmundson were a perfect match. Both Thumbelina and Cornelius wore outfits that matched the appearance of their puppet while the size of the doll was accurate. Baranbee was designed to be way bigger than the size of a normal bee which made the size dynamic between Corneilus, the fairy prince, and Barnabee accurate. The direction to have the actors interacting with the puppet and not the actor controlling them was a minor detail that director Pat Rundell understood and communicated effectively. The choice to have the puppets acted by full sized humans creates magic within the story that is achieved only through live theatre.
Rem Murray, Greg Brown, and Lucas Lochrie. Photo by Shelanne Justice