Before I start on the crazy adventure that is Caravan Farm Theatre’s latest summer production, Head Over Heels, I have some important advice:
Go to the bathroom first!
It’s important to avoid any accidents as you will laugh, hard, at the antics of this warped, gender-bending tale of unrepentant love in all its facets.
The play is a hoot and has the unmistakable imprint of its writer, actor/playwright Peter Anderson.
It was 35 years ago that Anderson hitchhiked from California to B.C. to join the then horse travelling theatre company that eventually found a permanent home on a farm in Spallumcheen.
Anderson has since written 15 plays for Caravan, as well as written/co-written/acted in a few others you may be familiar with: The Number 14, The Overcoat, The Emperor’s New Threads...
Here, he let’s his imagination go wild.
Think Lost, without those dreaded “numbers”; Planet of the Apes, sans the apes, and replaced with some randy humans and a gorgeous Clydesdale, and The Love Boat, but instead of l’amour found aboard a cruise liner overseen by Capt. Stubing, here you have a bunch of ecstacy-driven fanatics who have crash landed in some unknown wilderness.
Yes, wild, and that goes for the sexual innuendo that is rather rampant here. While adults should “wink, wink“ at it all, most of it will fly over the heads of kids, at least those who stay off the Internet.
The play starts with a sonic boom heard overhead and then disappears into the woods beyond in a cloud of dust. Out runs a girl from the wreckage, wheeling her suitcase (as if she’d remember to bring along her underwear after crash landing in the woods), with no idea of where she is.
Oh, and her twin brother has gone missing and is presumed dead.
The wonderful absurdity of Head over Heels goes from there as we are introduced to some of the wildest characters to ever invade Caravan (at least in the 13 years since I have been covering their shows.)
The lost girl, Oola (the lovely and sane Jennifer Paterson), encounters Harquevari, the bag lady of the woods (a fantastic turn by Elinor Holt), whose horse, Shopping Cart (Jason, the aforementioned Clydes), never steals her thunder.
Harquevari warns Oola of the tempestuous owner of all the land, Lividia Swann (a ballsy, if I may use that word, turn by Hannah Miller), who is still mourning her deceased husband and is unwelcome to the attention or affection of anyone else.
To avoid a woman-on-woman confrontation (or a cat fight, if you will), Harquevari gets Oola to disguise herself in her missing brother’s clothes, and well, you can imagine the crazy antics that ensue.
Now known as Yves, with a Mario Bros. duster on her lip, Oola meets a familiar face in Vivian Bandello (played with amorous gusto by Mike Wasko) who happens to be head over heels in love with Lividia.
Vivian can’t get anywhere near the grande dame of the forest because of her overzealous security guard, Belleforest (hail to thee, Christopher Hunt), so he sends in Oola/Yves to deliver a love letter.
Adding to the fun is Lividia’s uncle, Throb (welcome back the beloved Martin Julien), who hits on Lividia’s flight attending aide Louise McGhee (the always wonderfully expressive Manon Beaudoin) almost as much as he hits the bottle.
These two scheme to bring a new lover into Lividia’s life, and let’s just say, it includes a high octane laugh factor in a pair of pink skivvies.
Like I said, go to the bathroom first.
Another accident waiting to happen comes in the form of Throb’s other accomplice, a dweeb wearing yellow parachute pants. Named Inkling (where did you come from Colin Doyle? And please come back), this guy gives Where’s Waldo a run for his money as he attempts to hit on everyone he sees, rather blindly I must say.
Oh and Oola’s brother Oli (the beautifully deadpan Josh Drebit) also shows up wandering aimlessly and amorously through the forest.
Can you see where this is leading, yet? Ah, go see the play then.
Director Courtenay Dobbie couldn’t have picked better actors for her cast. The physically-inclined ensemble dashes over suspended bridges, up and down stairs made of left behind suitcases, up a tree fort that would be any kid’s dream, and down a fireman’s pole, all while dancing, laughing, singing and pounding the stuffing out of each other.
Adding to the amazement is set designer Marshall McMahen and the Caravan crew who have built an incredible stage, which includes the wrecked fuselage of a plane turned into the Copacabana, and prop and set pieces carried in by air traffic controllers. It’s rather genius.
Then there’s the memorable tunes (written by Dobbie and Ajineen Sagal) sung in harmony by cast members and with immense skill by Kim White on guitar and banjo, Julie McIssac on violin and oboe, and Sarah May Redmond on accordion.
This is a summer night’s dream that you’ll fall head over heels in love with.
The play continues at Caravan Farm Theatre nightly (except Mondays) at 7:30 p.m. until Aug. 25.
For tickets and information, visit the Ticket Seller at www.ticketseller.ca or call (250) 549-7469.
— Kristin Froneman is the arts and entertainment editor at The Morning Star.
