Rebecca Northan got called it all the time growing up: Troublemaker. Maybe it was because when she got bored, she would find something to do, whether that involved throwing white flour by the fistful on the dog or hitting her brother on the head with plush teddy bears. And for all it meant Northan has been a bit afraid of what it all means.
In Troublemaker, Northan explores her truth. She is vulnerable and honest in her storytelling while infusing her signature style into the narrative. She opens the show, bathed in red light, talking about a dark hallway and a doorway of light. She moves on to stories of her mother, growing up in the neighbourhood of Rundle, and the trouble she got into. She breaks up the stories by taking a moment to talk to the audience and sip on tea. It’s a wonderfully intimate way to make the Loose Moose Theatre seem smaller than it is.
She speaks of her cat and how she was mischievous as well. She talks about losing her mom to cancer and making Christmas videos with her brother and it all comes together in the end. Her fears, her doubts and how she has become the woman she is today, sitting on stage, sipping tea and telling stories.
What makes Troublemaker so compelling is how naturally Northan pulls you into her life and reveals the truths within it. You would think that she didn’t fear doing a one woman show at all!
It’s all performed on a simple set with light and sound design that weaves itself within the story.
Troublemaker is worth the trouble.
Rebecca Northan’s Troublemaker runs at Loose Moose Theatre until March 14th. More information is available online.