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| Amitai Marmorstein and Celine Stubel Photo by Barbara Pedrick |
In 2011, Atomic Vaudeville surprised Toronto theatre audiences with their sold-out run of Ride the Cyclone. Now comes the prequel: Legoland, currently playing at Theatre Passe Muraille.
Penny (Celine Stubel) and Ezra (Amitai Marmorstein) portray the infamous Lamb siblings, who in this installment are extradited to Canada after a brutal attack on one of America’s most beloved pop stars, Johnny Moon. At the request of Penny’s social worker, they give a presentation to their high school. It is here where we, the audience, learn of their trouble-filled journey, which began with their upbringing in a commune in Saskatchewan, to their time in a boarding school, to their trip across the U.S.A. in search of aforementioned pop star. Penny leads us through their journey, while Ezra provides us with other background details, and other comedic bits.
Stubel plays 16 year-old Penny in a manner I like to call ‘a bit extra’ by her own narration, and in the way she acts as well. Marmorstein plays the younger yet uber intelligent Ezra with great flare… not ‘over the top’ but an understated yet very funny tone. Both actors excel in their delivery but Mamerstein’s is a stand out performance.
The set design is simple with a few props for the actors and puppets, yes, I said puppets. The story is told in vaudeville style (hence the name Atomic Vaudeville) with the use of ukulele, puppets, multi-media and gangster rap. Light and sound designs also add to the funny, punny and witty show. All the elements combine well to make this an absolute hoot!
Richmond’s written a play that is full of precociousness, and somewhat obnoxious tones. Stubel and Mamerstein do a good job in their pacing during this one-hour show. My companion for the night and I both enjoyed all the witty lines very much. We both laughed out loud many a times but agreed that for non-theatre fans this show may seem just “a bit much” in terms of the way it is written. Nonetheless, if ever you’ve felt like an outcast for being intelligent, being ‘different’, or simply well-read, and if you’re looking for a great evening of theatre, this show is for you. And just as FYI, I did not see Ride the Cyclone… You will miss nothing, if you’ve not seen it. All in all, I surely suggest seeing Legoland.
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| Amitai Marmorstein and Celine Stubel Photo by Barbara Pedrick |
