As Mrs. Joe Bradshaw prepares chips and egg for her husband’s dinner, she reflects on her mundane life, all the while engaging “the wall” in her introspective conversation.
She dreams of travel and adventure, and when she is offered the opportunity to spend two weeks with her girlfriend in Greece to search for romance and adventure, she accepts.
What she discovers changes her forever. She becomes Shirley Valentine again.
This one woman show is courageously performed by Julie Rigby. When asked about the tremendous amount of work it takes to perform a role like this, Rigby says, “This is a lot of work. I started working on this project last year and have been in regular rehearsals since July. The challenges are definitely in the amount of memorization and the internal struggle within me. As with all challenges, there’s an internal dance that takes place. I feel very lucky and honoured to have the opportunity to play this role.”
Rigby describes Shirley Valentine as being “pretty awesome”. “She’s funny, cheeky, smart, strong, and beautiful. Shirley is ‘Every Woman’, and we all can relate to the story that is told. I think that we all are more similar than different. We can be funny, but when pushed, we can be vocally strong. We all have had many sad adventures that have most likely resulted in internal growth. “
Shirley Valentine is playing at the Rivercity Stage 1080 Hemlock St., April 17-20 and April 24-27 at 7:30 p.m. and April 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available online at www.rivercitytickets.ca or at Impressions Gallery.
