Everyone has favourite traditions at the holiday season. Some of the seasonal traditions that take place at the Yurchenko household are a little odd. There are the pinecones, oven mitts instead of stockings, and frozen cake as dessert. There is a different version of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas,’ that they all sing together.
This is the opening to Lunchbox Theatre and Forte Musical Guild’s production of Twelve Days. Anton Yurchenko (Joe Slabe) is the one who holds these traditions near and dear, so that he can remember a very specific time in his life. We flashback to that time, in 1965, when Anton (now played by Devon Brayne) is studying music at McGill. It was his opportunity to get off the farm. He is staying in residence and we are introduced to his roommate Robert (Eric Wigston) and his future friend and partner Donna (Mara Teare).
Twelve Days is a new musical by Joe Slabe, with a lovely story about love at the heart of it. It starts off a bit banal and typical, but once the musical goes into the story of how these traditions came to be, it is quite heartwarming. Slabe’s musical numbers are warm and memorable and the entire cast plays musical instruments on stage. At the start, Slabe is a little innocuous as the older Anton, but picks up in energy as the play unfolds. Brayne’s portrayal of the younger Anton is charming and relatable. Teare embodies the conflict that Donna faces convincingly and Wigston is always a bright presence on stage.
Madeline Blondal’s set design ensures that all the instruments can fit on stage while the setting changes. The spinning stage is a nice touch, though the manual opening of the curtains for the Christmas tree to be visible feels a bit amateur. Neil Fleming’s lighting design helps to tell this story, and Jolane Houle’s costume design rounds out the characters. Director Samantha Currie pulls it all together and ensures the story flows nicely.
Lunchbox Theatre and Forte Musical Guild’s production of Twelve Days is a holiday cheer, wrapped up in a noon hour show. Take it in, if you can.
Twelve Days runs at Lunchbox Theatre until December 21st. More information is available online.
Photo: Devon Brayne and Mara Teare. Credit: Ben Laird.