Jumping for joy – the reviews are in!
David Jansen as 5-year-old Cathy (photo by Cylla von Tiedemann)
The reviews – from old school critics, new school bloggers and from people who go see theatre to, well, go see theatre – are in. And they’re outstanding.
The Globe’s R. Kelly Nestruk says CLOUD 9 is “a parade of pleasurable performances.” The Sun’s John Colbourn describes it as a “brilliant and witty commentary on the enduring nature of human passion and compassion.” On CBC Radio One, resident theatre critic Lynn Slotkin raves that CLOUD 9 is “directed with style by Alisa Palmer” and “there are seven actors at the top of their game, and the result is a production that will have theatre-goers on cloud nine when they see it.”
In the blogosphere, mooneyontheatre is “fascinated by how well Ann-Marie MacDonald and David Jansen captured the mannerisms of their child characters”, while blogTO calls it a “raucous mash-up of age and gender, race and sexuality.”
But the most rewarding feedback is coming in from our audience: the people who are buying the tickets, braving the cold, and filling the Panasonic night after night. Sandy (a self-described late 40’s feminist engineer), writes on her blog that a “great script, excellent actors and fabulous costumes make for a fun night out.” Perry T. calls CLOUD 9 a “fantastic, daring show.” Patti S. “loved Churchill’s flip on gender, age and race.” And Barrie W. tells us: “I saw it in about 1982 or so, and don’t remember it being this funny.… The deliberate mixing up of genders is a brilliant theatrical conceit and takes the play out of the ordinary – now no less than 30 years ago. The cast is uniformly splendid.”
If you’ve seen CLOUD 9, tell us what you think – enter our “Was It Good For You?” contest here. And if you haven’t… well you should believe everything you read (just this once!) and come experience CLOUD 9 yourself.
A thought provoking and hilarious romp with some amazing acting. To miss this gem would be a crime. Megan Follows is excellent as always, to the point my wife did not even realize she was playing two different parts in act one. David Jansen is the embodiment of a child needing less sugar…. and it just makes you want to give him more! The entire cast pulls this off w/o any doubts and does it with style, grace and an humorous edge that is priceless. If you have an open mind you would be foolish to miss this one… and if you don’t maybe it will help open your eyes.
I found this play very thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyed the bending of genders and the virtues and flaws of each character. I think we could all see a little part of ourselves in each character as well as reminders of our own childhoods. A very well done productions!
I think that the ensemble fit together like pieces of a puzzle….perfectly aligned. The juxtaposition of roles was smoothly achieved. The story was witty, and the ending – although some critics felt that it was hurried and flat – brought resolution in a timely manner & was extremely moving. I must confess that I became “attached” to the characters, is there going to be a sequel with Cathy and Tommy all grown up? Well, if there is I promise I’ll be sitting there, front row centre. Thank you for a wonderful Saturday afternoon.
Great show. Loved the twist with the actors changing characters in the second act.
An absolutely hilarious, mind-bending, gender-bending fantastic show. Funniest thing I’ve seen since Churchill’s “Top Girls”. This show is not to be missed. I defy anyone to find a better cast of actors on one stage anywhere–they were all amazing.
The play is interesting and fun. The characters and characterizations, gender and race switches are brilliant. Little Cathy was a highlight in juxtaposition to the imperialistic and pompous empiralist played in the first act.
Great! very funny and smart & the acting was superb. I would recommend this highly to anyone interested in good theatre.
I enjoyed Cloud 9 very much! What a great story, well written and the characters were well portrayed! The cast was in sync and complimented each other. I have been a huge fan of Megan Follows and it was wonderful to see her on stage – great performance! Evan Buliung was awesome – so dynamic and expressive! David Jansan was hilarious as Cathy! Thank you for entertaining me and providing a fun night out!
It’s been a while since I’ve so enjoyed a play. I was drawn in and transported by the opening scene, and marvelled all evening long at the magnificence of the cast, the direction, and the play. It was superb and utterly brilliant in every way. All the actors played their parts beautifully, crafting all the illusions called for, but Ms. MacDonald and Ms. Follows stood out as perfect! I was delighted at the skill shown to play Ellen/Mrs. Saunders/Lin, and I treasure the experience of seeing it. Kudos to you all, and thank you.
I must have been in a different theatre, this play was beyond awful. I should have left during the first act, but I stuck it out. What a mistake. I was not alone, 4 people in our party (ages from 23 to 89), and we all hated it . Very disappointing someone even thought to perform this production I felt sorry for the actors having to work in ths production. Applause at the end was sparse but polite!
I wrote two sonnets last night after seeing the play. Although the subject matter is different, they are direct responses to your stunner of a production and absolutely fabulous cast. I congratulate each and every one of you on a great success. The sonnets are posted on http://storyward.blogspot.com/ Thank you.
A charming play, and this an energetic and thought-provoking production of it. I particularly enjoyed Ben Carlson and Evan Buliung in the first act, and Ann-Marie MacDonald in the second.
So awesome to see that amazing collection of talented actors! Beautiful costumes, Judith Bowden’s design are fabulous! The innuendos and intrigues were hilarious and you’d think the music was written with the original, they fit perfectly. I’ve personally admired Megan Follows since I was a kid, it was nifty to see her in another role entirely, and Ann-Marie MacDonald has been my favourite author (Fall on Your Knees) and playwright for so long, it was lovely to finally get to see her perform in person. So funny, and wickedly witty. Definitely a must-see!
Outstanding performers. Thought provoking play.Brilliant writing. Little Cathy was a show stealer. A must SEE!!!!!
I thought this play was simply brilliant! I wanted to send a shout out to Palmer and her amazing cast. I thought the audience’s reaction was somewhat lukewarm considering how *outstanding* the performances were. Brilliant acting. Churchill is consistently incredible, but to see such expert acting from so many on a Toronto stage is a real treat.
A friend gave me tickets, so I had no idea what Cloud 9 was like, other than it left me “on cloud 9″. To say it was fabulous is an understatement. The cast was talented beyond belief, playing difficult roles with finesse. Although some of the issues presented may not seem relevant in contemporary society where we have made great strides, the issues are indeed relevant. Thus, watching theatre of this nature is important as it challenges assumptions, perceptions and gender roles. In the end, it will lead toward a greater acceptance and understanding of diverse lifestyles and choices.