Director Janet Irwin, left, and stage actress Kristina Watt stand in front of the Canadian Museum of Nature, where one of the scenes in the play Angel Square, based on a novel by Brian Doyle, is set. Jolson Lim, Centretown News A local theatre group is in the spotlight after being nominated for several Prix Rideau Awards for their performances in Angel Square, produced by the Great Canadian Theatre Company.
The award-nominated play brought renowned Ottawa writer Brian Doyle’s 1987 novel of the same title to life.
The slice-of-life story is set in 1945 Lowertown and other parts of Second World War-era Ottawa, and follows a young boy named Tommy as he solves the mystery surrounding the assault of his friend’s father just days before Christmas.
The plot reflects war-years tensions around racism and poverty, but also conveys Doyle’s trademark sense of humour.
The comic relief was heightened due to the story’s 15-plus zany characters played by just four performers.
Local theatre producer Janet Irwin adapted the script and directed it; the latter role has earned her a Prix Rideau nomination for outstanding director.
The Prix Rideau Awards are the capital region’s top annual theatre prizes.
Irwin said she had forgotten about the award’s application deadline, so it was a lovely surprise when she learned she’d be a finalist at this year’s awards ceremony in October.
“I love Doyle’s work because it’s very funny, while at the same time it deals with darker scenes,” Irwin said. She has been directing various renditions of Angel Square since the 1980s.
“The kids have total free range of the city… They sneak into the old Capitol theatre, they try to solve the mystery in what’s now the (Canadian) Museum of Nature,” Irwin said, referring to a 2,500-seat cinema that existed on Queen Street until 1970, and the storied natural history centre on McLeod Street.
“So we really see an Ottawa that’s gone, and I think that’s interesting and it kind of gives us our own mythology.”
Ottawa actress Kristina Watt performed more than a dozen characters in Angel Square, and said the time she spent on the play deepened her connection to Ottawa’s past.
“Working on a play that’s set in Ottawa… made me feel things about this city that I never felt before, even though it’s not really my present tense,” Watt said.
She also said that through research and acting, she developed a better understanding of the city’s historical roots, which made her feel more connected to her Ottawa home.
“I think what we’ve done is, in a storytelling way, we’re taking an eye into the history of the city,” Watt said.
“And then in a very personal way you travel through the eyes of little girls and boys trying very hard to be happy, and I don’t think that’s just in a time period.”
The Prix Rideau Awards have been hosted annually for the past nine years to honour outstanding English and French theatrical productions and performances in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
Kyle Ahluwalia, president of the awards, said nominees are selected from both big budget productions and smaller, more experimental shows.
“We’ve got a wonderful balance of established institutions and artists who’ve been here for a while, and they’re able to help frame and help mentor upcoming artists,” Ahluwalia said.
“Not only is it healthy right now, but I think it looks promising for the future and looks promising for keeping a healthy theatre scene.” He added that the Prix Rideau Awards are one of the few bilingual theatre events in the city that allow both linguistic communities to meet and mingle.
The awards gala will be held at The Gladstone on Oct. 2, with a cocktail hour at 7 p.m., the awards ceremony at 8 p.m. and an after-party at 9 p.m.
The event is open to the public but tickets must be purchased from Eventbrite.ca.